Eternal Spiral
by Kushinada Uzumaki
Summary: AU: SasuFem!Naru. A Spiral has no end, at least not if you look at it as it should be looked at. Sasuke and Naruto have always been like that spiral, always circling around one another, with no end in sight. It's been nearly four years since Sasuke left Konoha, and secrets are revealed while decisions are made.
1. Hopeful

**AN: So, I did promise a Sasufem!Naru story, and here it is. Or at least the first chapter, I hope it's alright. I was a bit unsure how to start it, though I already had a plot and some scenes planed. **

**There will probably be a lot of flashbacks in the future so as to get a better idea of Sasuke and Naru's relationship but the next chapter will start where the story really begins, in Shippuden. Of course some things will be different, and this first chapter was just a sort of prologue to move into Shippuden. **

**On another note, I will be updating Uzu no Musume in a day or two, I have the chapter in progress now. I'll be updating both this story and that one around the same time each week. **

**So, enjoy!**

* * *

**Heritage Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 1: Hopeful. **

Naruto sighed as she sat on the roof of her apartment.

The full moon high and bright in the midnight sky. She wasn't sure what she should think, not after so long. Sasuke Uchiha had a way of getting under her skin, and pushing all her buttons.

Sometimes she just wanted to wring his neck until he was blue, others... well at other times it was different.

Sighing again she ran a hand through her bright sunny hair, an unfortunate hair color for any ninja, but it made her unique so she liked it. The same could be said about her large cerulean blue eyes and whisker birthmarks.

Funny, she knew many believed them to be side effects from the Kyuubi, but in honesty she had been born with them.

She knew this because of the fact Hokage-jiji had told her himself and there were a few baby pictures of when she was just born in her mothers arms.

Though until she was a genin fresh out of the academy none would tell her who she was (Jiji had bent this rule some, seeing as she should have become a genin the first time she'd taken the test when she was nine, but biased teachers and her inability to control her chakra enough to complete an ordinary Bunshin had caused her to fail twice).

Apparently this was to keep her safe, though she'd always known who her father was subconsciously.

She'd have to be blind not to realize she looked a hell of a lot like the Yondaime Hokage. Either they were family, or it was a hell of a coincidence. It was too bad she didn't believe in coincidences.

She could wait for confirmation, she was in no hurry to confirm that her hero, the person she'd always look up to growing up had been the one to seal the Kyuubi inside her gut.

She had never blamed him exactly, but if he was her father... it sort of stung (and by stung she meant angered her and hurt her a lot) to know he was willing to seal a demon inside her.

The Fourth had to have known how badly Jinchuuriki's were treated. There was a possibility he had more faith than he should have had in the village. It was a shame that faith was misplaced for the most part.

"You always up this late, Dobe?"

_'Think of the devil and the devil shall appear,' _she thought to herself and looked up and to her right.

Slightly behind her was the figure of her male teammate and the bane of her thoughts. Actually, she found that she just didn't understand the male species.

Even Haku, the boy from wave had confused her and saddened her at the same time. If she ever had one regret it was that she couldn't save Haku, and Zabuza by default.

The last Uchiha looked as he always did. Dark blue shirt with his clan symbol on the back and a high neck. Long shorts and standard Shinobi sandals. Like all Shinobi his weapons and other handy tools were on him and easily accessible.

She herself wore what she always did, though of course a fresh set. She only had access to Ayame-neechan's machines on Sundays, a set up between the owners of the ramen place and herself when she was five.

The laundry mats didn't so much as let her loiter in their area, one of many places of business. The only places that were generous to her were one or two stands from people who had arrived after the Kyuubi attack, Ichikaru's and Tenten's family shop.

She'd learned later in life if she wanted to get groceries than she needed to master Henge or learn to plant edible foods. It wasn't exactly by choice she ate mainly ramen after all, but it was her favorite.

She digressed though. She wore her dark orange, black embroidered short sleeved kimono blouse like top with black obi and black skirt.

Under the thigh length skirt were tight black shorts that were a inch or two shorter than the skirt itself. She also were black stockings that stopped about four inched blow her skirt and black Shinobi sandals.

Bandages were around the stockings on her right leg for her weapons, and a black pouch around her waist on her left.

It was close enough to her obi that it disguised itself unless you looked closely or knew it was there by being around her daily. Around her hands were bandages as well, and they stopped halfway up her forearm.

On the lower part of her top, below the black obi, on the right side was a medium size Uzumaki clan spiral in black and dark orange-red. It had been sown there herself, after she'd hand dyed the top when she was younger.

All her clothes were once her mothers, or at least nine tenths of them were. Hokage-jiji had supplied her with them, knowing how hard it was for her to get clothes.

On her forehead under bangs was the barely visible forehead protector that signified her as a ninja of the hidden leaf. A blue clip pulled some of her hair from her face on the left side.

Her long sunny blond hair, which almost seemed to shine with hidden sunny-red highlights in the sunlight, pooled around her in her sitting position.

If she were standing up it would fall to the back of her thighs when loose.

Usually she wore it loose, which made her look that much more like her mother. Hokage-jiji had said that while she had her father's coloring, his nose, and grin, she was otherwise her mothers spitting image.

The best of both of them.

Though her whisker birthmarks set her apart from both, her own person, even her hair wasn't the exact shade as her fathers from what Hokage-jiji would say, what with the reddish highlights she inherited from her mother.

"Naru – "

Naruto snapped from her thoughts and interrupted him.

"I could ask the same about you, Teme," she retorted, but it lacked her normal annoyance or anger.

The dark haired avenger snorted, moving closer to stand beside the girl, hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Hn. Midnight walk," he replied, shrugging. "Happened to spot you. Kind of hard to miss with that bright mop you call hair and bright orange you ware."

Naruto was sure that was one of the longest sentences she'd ever heard him speak.

"I couldn't sleep," she answered after a minute. "Sometimes I find it hard to sleep."

It was more than true. Most dreams weren't nightmares exactly, but after years of being put down, chased by mobs and beaten on occasions by the same mobs or random villagers – occasionally a ninja – most dreams were not pleasant.

The nightmares were the worse though, all centering around the day the Uchiha's were massacred.

Looking at her sort-of friend she wondered if he remembered that she'd been there that day. She couldn't blame him if he conveniently forgot that fact, she tried to forget that day as well.

Itachi had been one of the only people to look at her as a human being, and he'd been one of the only Anbu who would actually talk to her, even if it wasn't their mission to show themselves unless she were in danger or speak to her at all.

He'd even helped her train when he could, it was because of him her chakra control was ten times better than it could have been. Though she still sort of sucked compared to others.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, which was pretty much the norm for the dark boy. "You should try sleeping. We have training tomorrow."

"I probably should, but what about you?"

He shrugged.

"Like I said, I was just taking a walk," he said and turned to walk off. "You should try something warm to drink before sleeping. Something that calms you down, it might help your nightmares."

Naruto's eyes widened as he walked off, a gasp escaping from her mouth. Once he'd jumped from her roof to another on his way towards his place she assumed she frowned and huffed.

"Teme."

It was a nice gesture though. Maybe she'd try it.

* * *

"Where is he!" Sakura raged, glaring at nothing in particular.

Sasuke didn't pay the pinkette's words much attention, but the blonde sitting close by looked at her with bright bright blue eyes.

"It's Kakashi-sensei, he's always late," Naruto said, not really surprised.

Sasuke couldn't help but agree with the blonde dobe, the day their sensei was on time was the day the world would end. Or at least the start of the end.

"Hn."

Sakura looked over at the boy she'd been chasing since she was five – or at least she thought she might have been five, it had been so long some of her earliest memories were hard to recall. They were all thirteen now, or at least nearing thirteen in Naruto's case.

Sometimes the truth of how things had gone surprised her. Sasuke had changed so much from her earliest memories, but at the same time he was the same.

Naruto... well the blonde girl had become even more of a girl. When they had all first met she and others had mistaken the whisker marked girl for a boy. Her short spiky blonde hair, tomboy clothes and chubby cheeks just gave her that look.

She was even teased for it, reminding Sakura terribly – now that she'd become friends with the blonde – of how she was teased for her abnormally large forehead. Sakura thought that was why the girl kept her silky looking hair so long.

Sakura hated to admit it but she'd always been jealous of Naruto's long blonde hair which seemed to be highlighted red like a sunset in the brightest of sunlight.

The spiky locks she once sported seemed to have tamed themselves as they grew longer.

While Naruto was not perfect by any means, she had looks some girls would kill for. Thought the birthmarks on her cheeks always drew strange looks, some would admit they gave her a exotic look.

She sort of digressed though.

The unspoken friendship between the Uzumaki heir and Uchiha heir had always confused her. They didn't act like best friends or normal friends did – though considering how her and Ino now acted she wasn't the best at judging friendships.

They just seemed to have an understanding and almost friendly rivalry. They seemed to understand something she couldn't. She figured it had something to do with their childhoods.

Naruto was an orphan, and was always alone. From what she heard she'd been kicked out of the orphanage at around four, and lived on her own ever since.

She knew her blonde friend was close to the Hokage, and that she was unusually happy for someone with such a mysterious past.

Sakura couldn't even pretend to understand what it must have been like, but she also knew her teammates wouldn't have wanted her too.

Many might see her as a giant fan-girl with a huge forehead and she'd admit six months ago that was essentially what she was, but being on team 7 had changed her.

It had changed Naruto and Sasuke as well, just not as apparently. Not to say she wasn't still after the Uchiha heirs affections but she wasn't as... obsessed as other fan girls anymore. At least not in her opinion.

At times though, Sakura couldn't help but feel left out and envious of the unspoken bond between her two teammates.

"Sakura, you okay?" Naruto asked, looking concerned at the girl.

"Yeah, Naru... I'm fine," she said, flashing a smile just as there was a swirl of leaves and Kakashi appeared before them.

"Yo," he greeted.

"You're late!" Sakura exclaimed, much like she did nearly everyday.

"Sorry, I got lost on the path of dreams..." Kakashi began, only to be interrupted.

"You slept in didn't you?" Naruto snarked, only half questioning.

Kakashi blinked his visible eye and sighed.

"Must you always interrupt my excuses?"

Naruto grinned, and replied, "Get some new believable excuses, Kakashi-sensei and we'll see."

Kakashi sighed, but was also rather amused and proud of his genin team.

The copycat-nin had never thought much about one day training a genin team, over the last few years the Hokage had tried to get him to take a team, and he did, but none could pass the bell test to her satisfaction.

Maybe that made him too harsh, many thought he failed them just because he had no desire to train a team.

That wasn't completely true, the bell test had been what his sensei had used, and the test his sensei had taken from his sensei who had taken it from his sensei. It was a bit of a passing tradition.

Team 7, he hadn't had much hope for them either. Not with how their records read, he had been pleasantly surprised.

In the end they had passed, though if he had failed them he didn't suppose the council would have been happy. Not with the last Uchiha being on the team.

Unfortunately he could only do so much to give his team the attention each deserved but the council was more interested in Sasuke, and he could only ignore the council breathing down his neck to a certain point.

Thankfully he'd been able to give each some personalized training, not much but enough that he didn't feel too guilty about the fact he had to focus a little more on Sasuke and training his Sharingan.

"Well, moving on. We have a mission," he said, smiling behind his mask and with his visible eye. "You have an hour to get a bag ready and meet me at the gates."

"What's the mission?" Sasuke asked, his tone giving nothing of his thoughts or emotions away.

"Hmm, it's a C-rank. An escort mission, we'll be gone for about a week," he said. "I'll see you three there."

With that he eye-smiled once more and shunshined away.

* * *

Nine months.

It was nine months later the world came crashing down. Or at least, it came crashing down for Team 7. The chūnin exams had marked the end of any sort of peace the team knew. Like a vicious cycle meant only for Team Seven, the team had fallen to shambles. Like a mirror shattered into pieces. It began with one of the three sannin, Orochimaru, and had ended at the Valley of The End.

Naruto sighed as she sat, leaning against the memorial stone. New names had been added, since the invasion from Oto and Suna months before. She didn't really notice that though, what she cared about was the missing pieces.

First Hokage-jiji had died fighting Hebi-teme, and then she'd been attacked by the Akatsuki, one of the members being Itachi. She'd admit only to herself she'd frozen upon seeing him, having not seen the man for four years, if not a little longer. Then there was the fact he had looked so much like Sasuke at first, confusing her.

The very end conclusion was Sasuke's defection.

Closing her eyes she placed a hand over the area slightly over her heart and winced at the pain she felt, yet there was no visible wound.

_'Why Teme, why leave? Why can't you accept that bonds can give you power too, why must you...' _she sighed, her thoughts stopping there, not wanting to go further with her melancholy thoughts.

"I wont give up, Sasuke... I'll bring you back, even if it kills me," she vowed softly, her head tilted up to the full moon in the night sky.

She after all, had hope, if nothing else.


	2. Point of no Resistance

**AN: So, the next chapter. **

**First, I am sorry it is so short, but this is just how it turned out. I hope you all enjoy this story, and I'll try to get the next chapter out in a few days. **

**I also want to thank those who reviewed and I hope to hear what everyone thinks about this chapter as well.  
**

**Also I just want to point out I've made them a tiny bit older then in canon - I think. I'm pretty sure they were thirteen when Sasuke went to Orochimaru, and sixteen in Shippuden. **

**Well things were a bit later in happening. Sasuke didn't defect until they were fourteen or close to fourteen in Naruto's case seeing as her birthday is in October. **

**We'll just say it happened that way because Orochimaru is one for dramatics and had to recover from fighting the third and his former teammates when Naruto and Jiraiya were searching for Tsunade. **

**Things will make more sense as we go on. **

* * *

**Heritage Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 2: Point of no Resistance. **

_Naruto sighed as her last clone against Kakashi popped. _

"_Great, I have to find Sasuke and Sakura," she muttered, realizing her only chance to passing this test relied with her teammates. _

_It had taken her a little while, but now she understood, around the time her unfortunate clone took a thousand years of death to the ass. Pervert, she thought with a hiss. _

_She'd be sure to pay the scarecrow back for that, even if it had been a clone. It wasn't like he'd realized that, she'd noticed the surprise in his eyes. She'd been smart, kawarimi'ed with a clone at the near last second. _

_Turning towards the place she saw Kakashi-sensei go she quickly, but stealthily, made her way there. She had a bell to get and test to pass after all. She would need the help though, she just hoped she could convince Sasuke to help her. _

Naruto sighed as she once again ducked down into the lukewarm lake area with a large waterfall to rinse her long hair. Swimming closer to the shore from where she'd stood close to the waterfall, she came to a standing position.

Her long sunny blonde hair fell against her body, sticking and shielding her breast and lower regions from view.

What was visible as she walked closer to where her towel and clothes were was a large fist size scar on her left side, close to her heart. From behind an identical scar, as if someone had driven their hand through her. It was the only scar on her body.

"Naru..."

Naruto stood straight from where she'd bent over to pick up her towel. The towel was clutched in front of her as she recognized the voice. Almost cold and emotionless, yet underneath she heard every emotion he tried to hide away.

Looking in the direction it came from her cerulean colored eyes found a shape, which slowly stepped from the shadows of moonlit night and trees.

Even after five months he looked the same. He was taller though, and his hair was slightly longer in the front at least. It was as dark as always, and stuck up in the back all the same. His skin was pale, but not sickly so, and his eyes were like onyx.

She hardly realized she was shaking as his black orbs penetrated her blue ones.

It wasn't from the cold either, at least not completely. But neither was it completely from fear... all her emotions swirled together so badly she couldn't pinpoint one from the other.

"Sasuke," she whispered, her voice nearly breaking as her eyes began to tear.

_Sasuke blinked when he saw the blonde come from behind a tree after Kakashi-sensei left the area, him still stuck underground. _

_The girl chuckled at seeing him and he glared as he watched the way the sun shinned against her hair and nearly turned places red. _

_Her hair always did distract me, he thought to himself. _

"_Dobe," he said, slightly annoyed. "What are you doing?" _

_She smiled as she sank to her knees after making clones and began to dig him out. This action surprised him but he refused to show it. _

"_Getting you out of this mess, Sasuke-teme," she said. "Once your out of here though, you owe me one. And I know exactly what you can do." _

_Sasuke raised a single eyebrow in question. _

"_Hn, and what exactly is that?" he asked. _

_Naruto smirked. _

"_Help me get those bells from Kakashi-sensei, and pass this test. I'll explain once your out." _

_Sasuke smirked lightly and after a moment of consideration he nodded. _

She hadn't changed much in the months since he'd seen her at the Valley of The End. She was a little taller, but so was he.

Her body had begun transition from teenager to woman, even if only slightly seeing as she was only fourteen, just as he was. But then, she'd always been slightly more advanced in that area than some of the girls their age.

Her hair was a little longer, and some of it was floating on the water that came up to her mid thighs, the towel obscuring the rest of her body from him. Her blue eyes were wide.

He tried to fight how much he had missed the sunny girl.

"Come to kill me, Sasuke?" she asked, her eyes slowly narrowing.

Sasuke grimaced mentally at the reminder. The memory of the last battle between them haunted him still, but he also couldn't allow it too. He couldn't allow Naruto to get in his way, no matter how much he cared about her.

"No," he said, walking forward. "I just happened to be in the area."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, and snorted.

"This is miles from Sound..."

Sasuke snorted.

"You think I'm kept caged, Naruto?" he asked, shaking his head and walking into the water, closer to the girl. "Foolish."

Naruto watched warily, her eyes dilating as he invaded her personal space. It made it worse that she was completely vulnerable and nude under the towel blocking his view.

"What are -" Naruto didn't finish, her eyes widened as lips met her own, shocking her.

The shock was both metaphorical and literal – or at least she felt as if a shock of lightning had shot through her. Mentally her mind told her to pull away but a stronger part didn't want too.

"Why?" she whispered once he pulled away, his forehead against hers.

Her eyes were watering, and anger coursed through her.

"You are my best friend, the only one I can let my guard down around. Or at least, I once could," he said so softly she almost didn't hear.

"How, how could you leave?" she asked harshly, her hand against his chest and pushing sharply against him. As if to push him over or away from her. "Come back to Konoha, Sasuke-kun, it's not too late for that."

"Konoha..." he looked up to the sky and then back down at her. "No. Konoha only holds me back, Naruto."

"Why are you here then, just to torment me?" she asked, almost sounding defeated.

She gasped when she felt arms around her waist, pulling her closer, and onyx eyes gazed down into hers.

"For one night... can we not forget our pasts?" he muttered, almost unsure of what he himself was asking.

Naruto looked at him, and while a large part of her wanted to refuse... she'd always had problems refusing her precious people and Sasuke always held a special place in her heart.

Leaning up slightly she placed her lips against his, she was aware of a single tear falling from her right eye, and she gave no more resistance to her desires.

One night to forget... in her heart she felt slightly guilty as Sasuke was technically a traitor to Konoha, but she couldn't resist giving in to the brief happiness these one nights would bring her.

They wouldn't be often, maybe once or twice a month, and she'd always wonder how he always found her... but she never cared to ask. When those nights came they were simply Sasuke and Naruto... there was nothing else.

It seemed they were both at the point of no resistance.


	3. What's My Line Again?

**Heritage Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 3: What's My Line Again? **

"You know, when I decided to take you on this trip, I didn't expect you to have hidden rendezvous with the Uchiha brat," Jiraiya said as he looked at his goddaughter with short lived shock.

He had seen it coming really, well not this exactly. He'd seen the fact Naruto loved the brat who'd shoved a Chidori through her chest, not once but twice, nearly killing her.

This generations team seven had been like a kick to the gut, reminding him not only of his own team, but of the one he'd taught.

Team Hiruzen, also a team seven, had consisted of the Legendary Sannin.

Himself, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.

Team Jiraiya, his team, had consisted of Namikaze Minato, Uchiha Mikoto, and Himura Masaru.

Both teams reminded him all too much of Naruto's team.

The fan girl, the genius and the dead last... the epic love triangle of team seven. He was unsure if the team was simply cursed or if it was some cosmic joke.

If it was a curse though, he was sure Orochimaru had something to do with it, it would be just like him to curse a team dynamic before leaving the Leaf for good.

Petty revenge had always been something the snake sannin enjoyed.

When he'd asked Naru what had possessed her to... uh, do things with the Uchiha that he wrote about in his books (he was sure Minato and Kushina would castrate him for letting happen in the afterlife), well her answer had been simple.

_'It was a whim... I guess,'_ and the long haired blonde teen had shrugged as if talking of weather. _'The first time he came we talked and I thought it would be the only night... but he returned after that when he knew I would be alone. Once or twice a month. I missed him... I still do.'_

Rubbing his temple he looked at the girl before him. How she had been meeting with the Uchiha boy for nearly a year without him knowing was beyond him. He probably still wouldn't have known if not for the signs.

The lack of monthly cycle, the fatigue, the heartburn, and the dreaded hormones and morning sickness.

He didn't need to be a medic nin to diagnose pregnancy. He didn't even have to because Naruto had woken up this morning as pale as a ghost and told him what Kyuubi had told her.

And apparently the Kyuubi was unhappy with the fact he once again had to share living space with a growing meatbag, but it didn't stop the large fox from protecting it if training had gotten rough in the weeks before the fox could tell the blonde Jinchuuriki.

According to the fox women usually weren't this stupid as for him to have to tell them they were pregnant, and Jiraiya chalked that up to the fact all his previous containers had been female.

Mito, Kushina and now Naruto.

Obviously those two had realized when they were pregnant but Jiraiya had to wonder if Naruto had ever been given the talk, or if she knew where babies come from to begin with.

"Ero-sennin, say something. The staring is making me nervous," Naruto said, fiddling with her orange kimono-blouse.

"Naru, have you ever had the talk before?" he asked, knowing if he didn't ask these things Minato and Kushina might come back to haunt him for leaving her ignorant. "Or about safe sex for that matter."

Naruto blinked.

"You mean... there is a talk?" she asked, confused.

She was confused on what talk he meant. She'd talked about a lot things in life, but no one had phrased something quite like that.

Jiraiya groaned.

"How did you even know about sex to begin with, Naruto?"

Naruto blushed, uncomfortable with the conversation but she'd brought it on herself she supposed. Or so the stupid fur-ball smugly pointed out.

She blamed the fox, it was because of him she could even go into heat – which he'd explained as one reason why she hadn't fought Sasuke on what they'd done the first night and after that... well why bother.

She missed him and he was there, and despite all the denial in the world she knew she loved him.

"I used to live in the Red-Light district before Jiji got me my apartment. You see a lot around there, and sometimes if I ran to the brothel, the girls there would let me hide out until the coast was clear. They taught me a few things about male and female anatomy and stuff," Naruto explained.

Jiraiya grimaced slightly. The Red-Light District, the guilt edged into his chest at that revelation. That place wasn't exactly safe for people, much less a child to live in for however long Naruto had.

"Did they explain about where babies come from?"

Naruto blushed.

"Ero-sennin I am not three, I know where babies come from. The Nee-chans at the district once told me they came from when Ramen and Kami got together for a game, but later they explained it to me properly. I know sex leads to babies if you don't used protection... but uh... I have no idea what that is exactly."

Jiraiya sweet-dropped and sighed again. He was too old for this crap.

"Okay, so if you knew that why did you have to sleep with that Uchiha?" he asked.

Naruto blinked.

"I didn't."

"What?" Jiraiya deadpanned. "Then who is the father?"

"Sasuke," she answered, blinking owlishly.

"But you said he wasn't."

"No I didn't," Naruto argued.

Jiraiya twitched.

"Yes, you did. You said you didn't sleep with him."

"I didn't," she replied.

"Then who did you have sex with?"

Now Naruto was getting angry, her eyes twitching.

"I told you, Sasuke."

"You just said you didn't sleep with him!" he exclaimed and he blanched when he noticed the dark expression on Naruto's face, and the fact her long hair was beginning to stand up like nine-tails.

_Just like Kushina,_ he thought.

"WHAT DOES SLEEPING HAVE TO DO WITH BABIES!?" she yelled. "I DIDN'T SLEEP WITH SASUKE, AS THERE WASN'T ANY SLEEPING BEING DONE!"

Jiraiya stared blankly at his goddaughter, his brain trying to comprehend what all this meant. Slowly he began to laugh, oh Kami, she was still so naive. She had thought he seriously meant sleeping.

"What's so funny?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Naru, sometimes sleeping with someone doesn't mean literally sleeping. Sometimes it means you had sex with that person, but only sometimes. Understand?" he asked, and Naruto frowned, blinked and then nodded.

"I think so."

"Good. So can you answer my other question?"

"Uh, let me think," she said and then nodded, recalling the question that led to there long debate over sleeping and the babies father. "I sort of forgot about the babies part. I mean, it's been a while since the girls told me these things and I don't even know what they meant by protection exactly. And Sasuke has this effect on me..."

_Considering you forgave him for shoving a Chidori through your chest twice, I'd say he does,_ Jiraiya thought dryly.

But they did say love was blind.

"Didn't they teach you this at the Kunoichi lessons in the academy?" he asked.

Naruto blushed.

"I hated those lessons. Not to mention the teachers didn't like me because of Kyuubi, so I mostly skipped those days."

"Fine, well it's too late for that now. Protection is a condom, or birth control – which are pills that stop this sort of thing from happening."

Naruto blinked and then smiled sheepishly.

"Oh, right I know about those. Sakura explained to me along with Tsunade, but I only remember a little. Tsunade-baachan gave me these pills she said would help prevent pregnancy if I had sex," Naruto said, recalling the pills she still had with her.

"Right, do you take them?" he asked slowly, unsure if that was even needed to be answered considering the situation.

"Yes, I guess they don't work," she said, shrugging. "But I'm not surprised, Ero-sennin. I mean I'm immune to most poisons, or at least I've never been poisoned with something I couldn't heal – or more like the Kyuubi couldn't heal."

Jiraiya sighed, knowing her she probably didn't remember to take them as often as she should. And then the fact Kyuubi did filter nearly all drugs from her system.

He remembered Kushina telling Minato that Mito had once told her, that because of the Kyuubi birth control was less effective, and to not rely on it. Sakura and Tsunade probably hadn't known this fact.

"Alright," Jiraiya said. "What do you want to do now? You said you are about four months?"

"Nearly, at least that's what Kyuubi said. It would explain why I've gained so much weight," she said, looking at her usually flat stomach.

She wasn't fat, fat, but Jiraiya had noticed her gaining weight. He'd though she'd just been eating too much, and that the ramen was catching up to her.

"Do you want to keep it?" he asked. "There are options other than having it, or after you have it."

Naruto's face became much more serious, and he recognized it as her usual expression when she wasn't hyper or simply bored. Or genuinely didn't understand something. For all her knowledge the simple things seemed to fly right over her.

"It's my baby, I want to keep it," she said, and smiled. "I know I have options, I was there for that lesson at least during the academy. Though sometimes I wish I hadn't been, considering one of the more common reasons Kunoichi have to make a choice like that."

Jiraiya nodded, knowing full well what she meant. As ninja being captured meant the pain of torture, but for a kunoichi being caught by the enemy usually meant more then simple torture, and it usually ended with rape.

That was one reason a Kunoichi had to be strong and safe guard her emotions well.

"The council will probably throw a fit, and you can't exactly hide the paternity. Unless it looks a hell of a lot like you that is," he said.

Naruto nodded.

"I don't plan to hide it, I'm not ashamed of him or her." Then she frowned. "I do recall how obsessed they were with Sasuke though and the Sharingan and Uchiha in general. If they so much as look at my baby wrong, I'll shove a Rasengan up there ass."

Jiraiya burst out laughing, remembering how Kushina had once said something similar but instead of Rasengan and used Bijūdama instead.

"Or let Kyuubi eat them, which ever comes first to mind," she added shrugging, an almost cruel glint in her blue eyes which caused Jiraiya to shudder.

Knowing her she'd find a way to go through with that threat.

"This wont be easy you know," he said. "Training will have to be kept to a theory and maybe focus on your Fuuinjutsu. It would probably be alright to start teaching you the Hiraishin, you said the Sandaime gave you what yours parents left for you concerning certain family techniques. It should be safe until you get bigger. You mother didn't have any ill effects using it when she was heavily pregnant, but then she was being carried by your father after the six or seventh month if she used it – not that she ever used it often - after that."

Naruto blinked.

"My mother knew the Hiraishin?"

"Sort of. She knew how to do it as Minato taught her," he said. "She never got around to replicating the seal and the speed always seemed to trip her up at times. Once she was into her fifth or six month if she didn't really have to she never used it. The first time she tried it she reappeared above a lake and fell in, she'd waited too long and the kunai had gotten too far..."

Jiraiya trailed off with a chuckle.

He had told her about her parents after a run in with Iwa ninjas when they were in Earth Country. It had been a mistake on his part to take her too close to Iwa. She may be a mirror image of her mother in one aspect, but her coloring screamed Minato.

It had come as a surprise when she'd simply laughed and said she'd always had her suspicions on her parents, at least her father.

Needles to say the fact he was her godfather came out at the same time and after some yelling and anger, and a few tears on Naruto's behalf everything had returned to normal.

Well, after the first few days in which she barely talked to him, but she'd come to understand that it wasn't because he didn't want to raise her, it was because he couldn't.

His spy network was important, and raising a child on the road... well it wasn't safe. The lesser of two evils might have been being raised on the road with Jiraiya, but hindsight and all.

Like Minato, Jiraiya had wanted to have faith that his home village wouldn't treat their hero and Jinchuuriki like others were said to be treated.

It became clear that faith was misplaced, but by this time the council wouldn't have allowed Naruto out out of their sights. So he'd done what he could, it was from him that she got her beloved Gama-chan wallet, even if she hadn't known until now.

He was just relieved she had turned out as well as she had with her environment growing up, most Jinchuuriki were unstable because of their villages hate, yet she'd overcome it to the best of her ability.

"Um, your check," a voice said awkwardly, and they both looked to the side to see their waitress with a check.

Blinking, Naruto smiled and nodded, taking the slip of paper. As the waitress left Jiraiya snatched the check from her hands and looked over it.

"I should have known, cafes in Water Country are always expensive," he said before shaking his head and placing the money on the table with the check and standing.

"Come on Naruto, we'll go back to the hotel now. We'll head closer to Fire Country tomorrow... find somewhere to settle for a while until that kid pops out," he said, and Naruto smiled as she stood and the two began making their way back to the hotel.

"We can head to Wave... I know some people there who could help us set up a place. Or catch a boat to Uzu no Kuni, the place might have been destroyed but the island and ruins are still there," she suggested.

"Good idea, we'll rent a boat and head to Uzu, and after that we'll head to Nami. There not that far from one another."

Naruto nodded, and breathed a sigh of relief. That had gone much better then she'd thought it would. For the first time in a while she felt genuine happiness. Now if only she could find a way to drag Sasuke back to Konoha and break the news that she was pregnant.

Right now though she couldn't let him know, she'd have to hide it as long as she could.

With Orochimaru and his obsession with Sharingans, and Akatsuki breathing down Jinchuuriki's necks. Konoha wouldn't even know until she and Jiraiya returned in three years, possibly longer seeing as she was loosing nine months of intense training.

Meanwhile, inside the seal on her stomach, in a sewer like cage, the Bijuu king – Kurama or more commonly, Kyuubi no Kitsune, squirmed around like a dog trying to get comfortable.

Cracking one eye open as he rested his large head on his front arms/paws (they were not true paws, but not true human hands, a mix of both) and slowly opened the other crimson orb.

_**'Blasted Uzumaki women!'**_ he thought, grumbling to himself. _**'ITS SO CRAMPED IN HERE AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THAT FUCKING SEAL! CURSE YOU YONDAIME FOR HAVING A HORMONAL DAUGHTER! AND BLAST YOU UCHIHA FOR HAVING THE ABILITY TO PROCREATE!' **_


	4. The Heir Returns

**Heritage Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 4: The Heir Returns. **

The boat ride to Uzu no Kuni went rather close to one side of Nami no Kuni (Wave Country), and was not extremely far from Mizu no Kuni (Water Country).

Naruto knew quite a bit about the history of her mothers homeland, and knew that most of the land was settled as a Ninja settlement.

There was no Daimyo when Whirlpool Country had been founded, not exactly anyways. The lands were owned by the Uzumaki, and the Shinobi Village, Uzushiogakure had been founded by the Uzumaki.

Half the island which was close to the size of half of Fire Country. Though, on a map it looked extremely small she noticed, had been home to the Uzumaki which was a rather large clan.

Half of Uzushio had been made up of the clan itself, and many people from around the elemental nations had migrated there in the beginning.

Wild life was still thriving she noticed, and there was only one entrance to the island and once exit because of the raging whirlpools around the island itself. Some were not as strong but many were rather strong, she took note of.

It made her wonder exactly how they had been invaded, and in the end, destroyed. Looking at the sky, she sighed. When one can't get somewhere by land or sea they learn to fly, she recalled reading in a book some time ago.

Shaking her head from that thought she jumped from the boat onto the beach-like sands of Uzu no Kuni for the first time.

She wondered if where she walked, if her mother had ever walked the exact steps? Her heart twisted at the longing of knowing, but she knew she'd never be able to ask her mother in this life.

"It's kind of creepy," Jiraiya muttered, suppressing a shiver at the solitude the island offered.

There were some sounds, mostly of the water surrounding them, some wind, and the few animals still living on the island. Mostly large birds of sorts, tropical maybe?

The kind you'd find around sea sides and others as well. Those were the few they could spot, it was uncertain what else would be on the island.

Naruto rolled her blue eyes, her hair brushing her cafes as she walked. On the left side her bangs were kept away from her face with three shinny silver clips – though usually she only wore one.

Her hair looked nearly identical to her mothers, but was a little more unruly, especially if she had it as short as she'd worn when she was a child when it looked like a neck length spiky mess, like her fathers.

She was wearing the kimono-blouse she had been wearing for a few years now – though she had multiple articles of the same outfit, like many ninja did – but this one wasn't orange it was a deep dark blue, almost black and the stitching boarding it wasn't black but white.

Her obi was a burnt but still rather bright orange, and she wore the black spandex like short shorts under a black thigh length skirt. Her ninja stockings were black and she were black tights which went nearly up to her thighs.

"It's just not been lived on for a few years," she said, shrugging.

Jiraiya snorted.

_More like a few years over fifteen years, _he thought to himself.

Naruto smiled, and looked over at Jiraiya before turning back to the scenery.

"Come on, we need to find Uzushio, from what mom said in her journal it was nearly in the center of the island. There was a river that ran through it, sort of," she said, thinking of the few items she had from her parents.

A journal belonging to her mother had been one item, and it had detailed her homeland in detail. She'd always wanted to see it in person, and now, even if it wasn't in its prime, she was able to.

It only took two hours, some arguments and Naruto stalking off in the direction she thought they should have gone to find the hidden village.

The river, which had small whirlpools running through out it... not near as powerful as the ones around the island led them straight too it.

"And you said following the whirlpools was a stupid idea," she mocked, rolling her eyes as she entered through the broken down village gate.

"How was I supposed to know it was literal when they said it was the Village Hidden by Whirlpools... " he grumbled as he followed her.

Naruto rolled her eyes and snorted. Of course it was literal, though she did notice once inside that there seemed to be calmer waters running through the part of the river that went through the village itself – no whirlpools, but there was some crystal clear waters she noticed and small fish.

It was very beautiful, like a tide pool – which she could see there was a few actual tide pools on the island from the little she'd already seen and her mother's journal.

The river was probably the most beautiful part of the village now, and sadly most everything else was torn asunder by age and the invasion years before.

"Ero-sennin, do you think it's wrong of me to resent, even hate, Kiri and Kumo a little for destroying this place?" she asked as they walked around the rubble.

Some things were still standing but so old that it didn't look very safe any longer. The Uzukage's tower was one of the few things still in pretty good shape.

She realized it must be because certain objects and buildings had seals on them for strong structural integrity and stopping damage by age and other things. In simpler words, it was protected better then most things in the village.

She recognized the seal as an Uzumaki seal, which she'd gotten pretty good at with the help of the scrolls and books left to her by her mother.

Of course, she wasn't at a level in Fuuinjutsu that could match up with her parents or Jiraiya but she was good enough for a lot of simpler ones.

"No," Jiraiya said, "This could have been your home away from home had it never been destroyed and your parents had lived. You may not have lived or been born here, but it's still your mothers home and in inheritance your own. Being the last true Uzumaki, the only one from the main family left alive, this land belongs to you. I'm sure you know that though."

Naruto smiled almost bitterly, but knew he was right. This was just as much a home to her as Konoha was. Though some had survived the massacre of Uzushiogakure, some being Uzumaki, she knew none but her mother were of the main family.

In fact her mother had been the heiress when she'd agreed to go to Konoha on her great aunts request.

Not many realized this fact, seeing as it was agreed that Kushina's younger sister, Akiko, would be the acting heir – though Kushina still held all the rights of clan heir, and her sister only some.

Her mother hadn't truly understood at the time of her moving to Konoha, but it hadn't matter because not long had passed before the invasion.

Naruto's mother had written long on her feelings over this whole ordeal. And though the blonde felt she would always resent Kiri and Kumo for what they'd done to Uzushio, she wouldn't out right blame them when it had been so long.

The Kage probably wasn't the same who had ordered the invasion, and the ninja were mostly a whole new generation. The same went for Kiri, though she wouldn't exactly like them like she liked Ramen either.

Soon the two travelers found a part of the village which was much more... standing for lack of a better term. It had chunks of material scattered around, but the large walls surrounding what seemed to be a clan compound were still standing relativity unhurt.

There were spiral symbols in a deep color like Naruto wore on her clothes. It was slightly different from the same symbol she'd seem on some broken down buildings and pillars, this one had more spirals and reminded her a little more of a whirlpool.

Through the broken down gate-like entrance they could see some homes and shops were not as unhurt as the walls, and some were completely collapsed.

But the majority looked like they'd sustained little damage. One home, at the main end of the complex, and the largest of the homes was nearly in pristine condition and had many seals around it.

It was aged some, and looked as if it needed some repairs but otherwise it was the most intact building in the whole village. Walking over to a large tree which stood on the grounds surrounding the home she noticed kanji carved into a low point on it, and her eyes widened.

"The clans compound," Naruto said, and smiled. "This is where Kaasan lived."

Jiraiya knew what the blonde meant. This house must be where the clan head and his family resided, which meant this was her mothers childhood home.

He smiled, happy to see his goddaughter truly happy for once. He was also relieved to find the home looked ready to be lived in with a little work. Hopefully the inside was just as intact.

"Stay out here for a moment," he said. "I want to make sure the inside is secure before we go in. if so this will be where we stay until we're ready to head for Wave."

Naruto nodded and a minute latter she laughed as the man was blasted away from the front door to land on his butt slightly behind her, his hair sticking up and smoking slightly as if struck by lightning.

"Shocking huh?" she quipped and Jiraiya shot her a glare before standing.

"Right, new plan. Go undo the seal that closes the house," he said and then grumbled under his breath, "Paranoid Uzumaki's."

* * *

Three weeks passed for the two, and it became exceedingly obvious Naruto was pregnant with heightened hormones and bouts of all day sickness.

Naruto had vehemently denied it being called morning sickness when Jiraiya had tried correcting her. For her it hit her in the mid afternoon and lasted randomly throughout the day. Sometimes during the mornings.

It made her cranky, and it wasn't lost on her that Jiraiya had been walking on egg shells around her, as if she were a landmine ready to blow with one wrong move.

On another note, they had been exploring the village more and more.

Despite how long it had been abandoned many things were in good condition. The statues on a small hill overlooking the village, not far from where the river twisted out of the village walls, were still as tall and recognizable as when it had been populated.

From the inscriptions they knew the three statues were the three Uzukage's.

Out of the three only two were Uzumaki's. The other was a Himura, a clan second to the Uzumaki in the Whirlpool Village.

They had the ability to shadow walk, a rare bloodline which had died with the Himura clan of Whirlpool. It was similar yet very different from the Nara clans shadow jutsu's.

Out of everywhere the two spent the most time the first two weeks in the main Uzumaki house where they now resided, and in the Uzukage tower.

It seemed during the invasion not much had been taken, documents inside the Uzukage tower were still there. It seemed they were more interested in destroying them opposed to taking their techniques.

Though Naruto knew that wasn't exactly true, it seemed many scrolls and jutsu's that were recorded to be in the village were not present.

Many were sealing techniques, and though the Uzumaki were the leading clan for Fuuinjutsu, nearly all the clans in Uzushio were Fuuinjutsu experts. It was just the Uzumaki were the best of the best, apparently and had the most material on the art.

Other things the village were known for was Kenjutsu, Taijutsu, and Ninjutsu in some cases. Truth be told Fuuinjutsu, Kenjutsu, and Taijutsu were the main three the village was feared for, in that order.

While Ninjutsu was good, there were few that specialized in ninjutsu, as opposed to other villages where Ninjutsu was one of the most common talents.

The Uzumaki while mostly a Fuuinjutsu oriented clan, were also formidable in Kenjutsu and Taijutsu. Something Naruto knew seeing as she'd been learning her mothers family style for years now.

She had pretty much mastered it but she didn't have the needed Lightning affinity to blend with it, so instead she'd taken a leaf from her mother and father, who had learned to blend their affinities of water and wind respectively into the Raikou Kitsune.

Naruto's affinity being wind.

It made the taijutsu even more deadly, and she'd been working on improving it for a long time, even blending her two clan styles together – though it would take years to complete seeing as she'd just recently begun to master her father's fighting style (though she hadn't realized who exactly that was for sure until recently).

Finding scrolls on Kenjutsu, more then the ones she already had written from her mother, was nice. She'd been working on wielding her mother's katanas for a little over a year now but it was slow going.

Though she was pretty good currently, she wasn't a match for someone like Tenten or even that shark guy, Kisame. Hell, Zabuza Momochi probably would have laughed if he were currently still alive she was such a newbie.

Despite being the 'dead last' of her year, Naruto actually was far from stupid. A lot of that had been a facade, she hadn't wanted to draw unnecessary attention to her.

People already hated her for being a Jinchūriki, and a lot of the stuff the Academy shoved at her was much too advanced for a genin much less an academy student to know.

During the end of the second week she had been looking around when she noticed a seal on one of the walls in the library/study of the family house.

It almost seemed to glow the longer she looked at it, the faint blue of it pulsing. When she touched it it pulsed against her hand, and then she felt the prick as blood was draw along with what seemed like small amount of her chakra.

Seconds later the wall crumbled leaving a thick metal door, like a vault.

When she opened it, there was a staircase which led down, almost like a creepy dungeon. Upon seeing that she'd decided she wouldn't continue on without telling Jiraiya first.

"_Holy," Jiraiya had muttered when they had reached the room of the vault like place. _

_All around were scrolls and books, and other things. Tags for seals, scrolls, both blank and others which contained things. Weapons, even some clothes and money. _

"_It must be a safe, for family valuables," Naruto muttered. "It wasn't mentioned in moms journal but then, she might not have known at the time." _

"_I realized you Uzumaki's were paranoid but this is just... a little overkill isn't it?" he asked, blinking as he walked around, looking at the massive amounts of things. _

_Naruto snorted. _

"_Please, it isn't paranoia if someone is really out to get you," she said. "In there case it was Kiri and Kumo. They must have moved all the valuable family techniques here before the attack, so they wouldn't be stolen." _

_Jiraiya smirked. _

"_It's a good thing we came here, brat. It looks like we've found the perfect place to continue your training..." Looking over at his goddaughters no longer flat stomach he blinked and corrected himself. "Well, sort of training. Can't have you straining yourself now."_

Needless to say the next week was them sorting through and choosing certain things for her to study and learn. Naruto was going into her fifth month soon and her stomach was no longer flat, or the sort of flat it had been when she'd found out she was pregnant at nearly four months.

It was actually rather large, and she'd grown out of all her clothes, thankfully there were clothes that had survived the invasion those years before, though few were actually fighting clothes. There were a few battle kimono's. But not something that would fit her growing stomach.

She'd settled on wearing regular kimonos, which fit much better around her baby bump. It was strange for her, having never worn a kimono often.

In fact she could count the number of times she'd worn one on one hand, and she only owned four, all gits from the Sandaime growing up.

She probably had outgrown them, but there was a seal she'd found in one of the Uzumaki scrolls which when placed on clothes kept them more durable, and cleaner longer.

They also grew with a person, which seemed strange but with seals there was a lot that was possible. If someone could seal an all powerful mass of chakra inside an infant then someone could make a piece of cloth grow with someone.

This meant she wouldn't have to worry about out growing the kimonos as she got bigger. She might have been able to place the seal on her normal clothes, but that weren't quite as comfortable with her expanding stomach, and she was doing physical training any longer anyways.

Currently she wore a warm orange kimono with white peach blossoms and on the back was the Uzumaki spiral in a medium size in a slightly darker orange-red color. It wasn't exactly noticeable with her hair covering most of it though.

As for food – well there were some still in the village in preservation seals which had to be made for long term use since they still held after two decades (give or take a few years). Jiraiya had been sure check the food, not wanting her to eat anything that might hurt her.

Other then that there were plenty of fruits that grew on the island and fish. Lots, and lots of fish. It didn't bother Naruto, she was alright with fish.

It wasn't her favorite form of meat – thankfully there were other animals they could hunt and eat as well – but for some reason she'd been craving fish and tomatoes lately.

It was kind of funny to watch Jiraiya run around like a chicken with his head cut off to find the two items when she wanted them.

"Do you think I could clean this place up, and rebuild it one day?" she asked, coming out of her own thoughts as she placed her tea cup back on the table in front of her.

Jiraiya looked up from the scroll he was reading – with her permission of course, and it wasn't anything she felt he shouldn't know.

It was actually information on the Bijuu and the seal her father had used on her to seal the Kyuubi. Who she noticed was exceedingly grumpy lately.

"Why? I mean, you're a Konoha ninja..."

Naruto shook her head, knowing where he was going with those words.

"No, that's not what I meant, Ero-sennin. I have no desire to leave Konoha, or run my own village or country as it may be. But this place is also my heritage. I don't like seeing it in such a poor state."

Jiraiya chuckled, and smiled. Looking at the girl before him, who was only fifteen but at times seemed so much older he couldn't help but feel proud.

She had taken the hand life had handed her with grace, and never let the darkness from her own inner demons – but literal and metaphorical get her down.

Now life was throwing her another curve ball in the form of a wayward lover that was obsessed with revenge against his own brother, someone who Naruto had known in her youth and seen as a older brother of sorts herself, and unexpected motherhood.

And yet, she still stood strong, and reminded him more and more of her parents everyday.

Those words had been something Kushina would have said, even Minato come to think of it. But the way she'd said it, for a moment he'd thought he'd heard the echo of a noble woman before him, and technically speaking, that was what she was.

She owned a country, much like a Daimyo would, that technically made her a very important person.

He snickered mentally, if the council even thought of giving his apprentice a hard time over her child and being a Jinchūriki in the future they would be in for a surprise.

Being who she was she didn't have to stay in Konoha if she resigned as a ninja, she could go happily to her mothers homeland and restart what had fallen years ago.

And she'd end up taking their precious Uchiha (that wasn't even counting Sasuke, though he might follow as well at this rate) with her.

He didn't want to see that happen, but he could imagine the some of the council dying from shock, which was a funny mental image.

Might even be worth seeing, _maybe_.

"With all the wealth you now have, and then there is the inheritance you have yet to receive from Kushina herself and Minato... I'd say it would be easy enough to accomplish," he replied. "It would make a nice vacation spot and training grounds if nothing else."

Naruto nodded.

"I'll have to look into that. Something tells me this will take some political influence I'm not going to like," she said mostly to herself. "When we get to wave I'll ask Tazuna if he'll help, or knows anyone.

"The bridge builder you told me about?" the toad sannin asked.

Naruto nodded.

"Not much a bridge builder can do, unless you want to build a bridge to connect Wave to Whirlpool."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. That wasn't such a bad idea, but then again. The island had been invaded once, a bridge might make it even easier. But there wasn't much for anyone to invade, seeing as there were no longer any people living on the lands.

'But maybe one day that doesn't have to be true,' she thought, but dismissed it a second later.

How would she even go about that? Not to mention Konoha was her home, she couldn't exactly leave. If she came here, leaving Konoha, then she'd miss the few friends she had.

And she'd probably have to become the official Daimyo of Whirlpool (much as Koyuki had when she'd taken her place in Haru/Yuki no Kuni), as she didn't see the other Daimyo's allowing Whirlpool to operate as it had decades ago when it was founded.

Now days, having a daimyo to rule the countries were just simpler, maybe if one of the Uzumaki had taken up position as official daimyo of Uzu no Kuni, Kiri and Kumo might not have succeed.

But that was all speculation, it was impossible to know for sure.

"Hm, who knows," she said, shrugging.

"Have you heard anything from the Kyuubi lately?" Jiraiya asked, almost hesitantly.

Naruto looked up again, and blinked.

"Not exactly. He doesn't actually talk to me, but I'm pretty sure he's semi-aware of everything that happens. We don't exactly meet for tea parties Ero-sennin." Narrowing her eyes she asked, "What, is there something you need to know?"

Jiraiya sighed, rubbing his temples.

"You know your mother was the Jinchuuriki before you, right?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Well, you also should know that the fox was let out by someone who attacked your parents after your birth. You see, the seal on your mother was weakened during labor. Childbirth weakens the seal, but I didn't know if it would do the same for you seeing as your seals are different. Kushina's wasn't done with the Shinigami, but it was still very advanced, being Uzumaki made."

Naruto frowned one of her hands having dropped to her stomach.

"Will that happen with me? Do you think Kyuubi is plotting something, is that why you asked?" she inquired.

Jiraiya shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't even know if the fox attempts to get out knowingly or if it's just instinct. The point is, from what I read about the seal here... childbirth will still weaken the seal. Shinigami made or not, it's one of the drawbacks of having a female Jinchuuriki."

"But you'll be able to stop the seal from breaking, right?"

Jiraiya chuckled and nodded.

"Of course, who do you think helped Minato get ready for Kushina's seal weakening," he said, and then sighed. "I just wanted you to be prepared, because it'll make the birth more... unpleasant then usual."

Naruto nodded.

"I understand."

Though that didn't mean she wasn't nervous, she just hid it pretty well at the moment.

* * *

Kyuubi wasn't all that shocked when a few nights later his blonde container had appeared in the shin deep waters outside his cage.

Which, as usual was becoming so very uncomfortable for him. If only he had control of his containers gender like he did her healing.

He was beginning to believe this was some sort of curse placed on him for something he'd done. Destroyed one too many villages perhaps?

"What do you want, brat?" he asked, turning to face the girl with large crimson eyes open, and teeth showing ever so slightly.

Of course, as usual this did nothing to deter her. She simply smiled slightly and came a few steps closer.

"I wanted to speak with you. About the seal when I..."

Kyuubi sighed and cut her off, "When you have your kits, yes I know. Your mother was just as concerned when I was sealed in her. Kept asking me all these questiones about the little spawns health and then threatened to neuter me if I so much as tried to hurt it."

Naruto blanched, staring blankly at the large bijuu before her. He was talking about her as if she wasn't even there. Or maybe he was just so old he was going senile?

Then her eyes narrowed.

"Hurt it? You better not be..."

"As annoying and bossy as your mother, kit," he snapped, cutting her off.

"I can't hurt the little kits, my seal does not give me that kind of power. I may be uncomfortably close to your womb, but I can't interfere with anything going on there. The most effect I have there is when you go into heat which makes you more susceptible to pregnancy assuming you find someone to mate with. And the fact those things you humans take to stop fertilization is nearly completely ineffective."

Naruto's eye twitched, and Kyuubi might have found her annoyance funny if he weren't so damned annoyed himself.

"You couldn't have told me this before?" she snapped and Kyuubi growled, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"If I had known you would go mate with that blasted Uchiha..." He growled deeply against. "You just had choose that Uchiha boy didn't you, bratling? Besides, it's not like you ever asked. Actually from your innocence, ignorance, and naivety I was hoping you'd be asexual. Kami knows I regret it now, one was bad enough but two..."

"Two?" she interrupted, deciding to ignore his words about Sasuke. "What do you mean?"

The King of Bijuu blinked, which looked odd on the large demon.

"There is two, I think you humans call it twins. You don't know that either, do you not have a medic around you, brat?"

Naruto blushed.

"Right now I'm in Uzu no Kuni..."

Kyuubi blinked and nodded.

"So that's where we are. I've only seen it in memories from Mito and Kushina," he grumbled. "Whatever. Anyways, yes it's twins. Two very annoying twins."

Naruto snickered.

"Is that why you cage seems smaller?" she asked, and Kyuubi growled.

"You blasted people keep forgetting the seal is on your stomach, around you navel don't you. Not far bellow that is your womb, were those two little Uchiha banes of my existence are growing. Which means I have to endure you getting fat and my space getting smaller. I hate sharing!"

She twitched at the insult, she wasn't fat, she was just... pregnant. But she chose to ignore it. Despite this, Naruto couldn't help but think the big fox was being a baby, and couldn't help but imagine the fox pouting after he'd finished talking he sounded so much like a petulant child.

"So how are we talking?" she asked, still process the fact she was having twins. "I thought this was my mind."

"No, not exactly. This is inside the seal, but it reflects your mind because you being here is in mind and spirit, not your actual body. Of course, I could give you a big headache if I wanted and maybe influence you dreams when the seal is at its weakest, which would be childbirth or if someone messed with it. The only other thing I have is the ability to be aware of your surroundings to a certain point, and communicate with you telepathically. That is the most the seal allows me to do when it come to your mind."

Naruto nodded.

"Thank you for answering my questions, Kyuubi," she said.

Kyuubi snorted, and settled down once more, his eyes still narrowed.

"Whatever, now get out brat. Your annoying me more then your spawn."

Naruto snorted and seconds later Kyuubi watched as the girl disappeared, leaving him in peace.

Twisting around like a dog or wolf trying to settle in, Kyuubi grunted.

"four more months of hell," he muttered. "If I ever see the person who created seals, I'll eat them, puke them up and eat them again."

It was only after he'd closed his eyes to nap he began to realize he'd been around humans much to often if that was the best threat he could come up with on the spot.


	5. The Sun

**AN: So, here is the next chapter. Some have wondered about Sasuke so this chapter has quite a bit about where he is and how is doing. Hopefully you all like this chapter and I hope to hear from you. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Heritage Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 5: The Sun. **

"_Sasuke!" a blonde girl yelled as she ran through an area close to the Uchiha complex that was a forested area. It was where she'd first met Sasuke, and recognized one of her Anbu guards for who he was, Uchiha Itachi. _

_A boy, around six frowned as he ran after his friend, a light apparent in his onyx eyes that wouldn't be there in years to come. _

"_Naru, wait up!" Sasuke exclaimed after her as he followed her out of the forested area, past the Uchiha compound and towards the lake and pier. _

"_It's not my fault if you slow, Sasuke-kun!" she said back as she went towards the end of the pier. _

_Sasuke rolled his eyes and followed after her, a small smile on his face. Even though they had been friends for nearly a year now the girl was still unpredictable. _

_The first time they'd met he'd been unsure if it was a girl, her hair had been so short and spiky. _

_But she'd been growing it back out recently, and it now fell to her mid back, but was still rather messy, but was also straighter and her bangs were not the spiky mess they'd once been. _

_She'd begun pulling the chin length bangs away from her face with a single blue clip on the left side. _

_Though he hadn't admitted it to her, or anyone else, she was his best friend. _

_Sasuke was thrown from his thoughts when he heard a short scream and splash. Looking towards Naruto he saw her disappear under the water and he realized as he got closer she must had slipped on pier, seeing as the wood was wet and slippery from the last rain storm. _

"_Naruto!" he yelled. _

"_Sasu -" Her head went back under as she flailed around. "Hel - p!" _

_With shock he realized she wasn't swimming as her head went back under and she didn't resurface, and bubbles appeared on the surface of the water. _

_'She can't swim!' he thought with horror and without thinking he jumped into the water and began searching for his blonde friend. _

_'Where is she!' he thought as he looked around, as he turned he caught a flash of bright blonde hair with red highlights floating around and began swimming towards it. _

_Soon his arm hooked around the slim waist of the sunset blonde and he began pulled her up to the surface._

_As they broke the surface he took a deep breath and began pulling her towards the pier were he saw Itachi running towards them, dressed in his Anbu gear. _

_He sighed in relief, knowing his brother would help him and Naruto, but the fact Naruto still hadn't moved as he reached her further into his brother grip as he lent down to help them out, worried him. _

In a dark room, sparsely decorated, onyx eyes snapped open. Unlike the boy in the dream, this one had colder eyes, eyes which were guarded and almost seem to lack any emotion. Yet at the same time they read with grief, pain and regret.

Sitting up slowly the raven haired boy placed his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes to shake the memory. The dream hadn't been a dream at all, but a memory from when he'd been a child.

Before the Massacre, before he'd cut most ties with his best friend in order to protect her.

Back then he'd been unsure from what he was protecting her from. He'd told himself later it was from Itachi, and in some aspect it was true.

He'd always been afraid Itachi would come back and take away his only friend, take Naruto away like he did their parents and other clan members.

Years later that nightmare had seemed to become a reality when he'd heard that Itachi had come looking for Naruto after the Chūnin Exams. Now he knew that it wasn't just Itachi he was trying to protect Naruto from, it had been himself.

_'In order to gain these eyes - you must kill... your best friend.'_

Sasuke released a painful breath from his lungs, his head lowered, and his eyes becoming drenched in painful emotion. Hadn't he listened to the words of a madman? He'd listened to his brother and later he'd listened to promises of Orochimaru.

He'd tried to gain the power of the Mangekyō, he'd tried to cover his heart in ice as he shoved through his best friends heart – Naruto's heart. Or at least, it would have been her heart had she not deflected his hand a few inches higher.

The damage was done though. She may not have known it, or realized it but the whole time his hand was inside her chest his own heart felt as if it had exploded as well.

He may deny it, he may call it a whim as to why he let her live after the clash of his curse seal enhanced Chidori and her Kyuubi enhanced Rasengan.

But in reality, as he'd stood above her, and the rain had begun to poor down, his knees collapsing under him as he was forced to his knees with his head hanging over hers – he knew he had to leave.

He had to leave, because he didn't want to hurt her anymore. He finally knew in that moment she was more then his best friend.

He loved her, and he always would but he also couldn't allow himself to be near her. When he was he didn't obsess as much about avenging his clan and that was dangerous.

He couldn't let it go. He had to kill Itachi, he had to avenge his clan. He could never rest until he did, not with the nightmare of history repeating itself.

Of his brother returning years down the road, when he'd settled down and started a family (hopefully with Naruto), only to take it all away from him.

But he hadn't counted on his heart continuing to hurt even though he knew she was still alive. If she hadn't been he would have known.

He'd always been able to tell when something was wrong with her. Even the dumb blonde act she played as a defense mechanism at times couldn't fool him. It never truly had.

Finding her after she'd left Konoha with the toad sannin, Jiraiya, hadn't been easy at first. But he had managed every time she came close enough to Rice Country and Otogakure.

As he'd told her on the first night seven month ago... he wasn't caged. He could come and go with relative freedom, but if he was gone for longer then a week.

Well, he didn't know exactly how Orochimaru would react, but he didn't feel like finding out. Right now he couldn't match the sannin, but his training had come far.

Soon he'd have enough power to kill Itachi and Orochimaru. If the old snake sannin thought he was going to take his body for his own, he was sadly mistaken. He'd never had any intention of allowing that, this was simply a means to and end.

Unfortunately, he digressed.

It had been some time since he'd last seen Naruto. Usually he met her once every month, and those nights kept him going and sane.

Sometimes they didn't even do anything intimate, as those nights weren't meant to simply have sex. There were many times they did, but also many times they simply sat together and held small conversations.

Those nights were escapes and time to remind themselves the other was still alive. The last time they'd met had been outside of Rice Country, and she'd told him they were heading towards Water Country next, which was a distance from Oto.

He could have made it there, but recently Orochimaru had begun training him more and he had less time to leave for a few days. In these last few months the dreams of his past with Naruto and dreams of her in general were more often.

But the dream he'd just woken from was the first that involved Itachi in any way. He recalled clearly what had happened after Itachi had pulled her and him out of the water.

Itachi had given Naruto CPR, and Sasuke had watched closely, listening to Itachi as he explained the importance of the technique in case he ever needed it in the future.

If it would help Naruto he'd been willing to learn anything back then.

Once Naruto had spat up the water in her lung, Sasuke had smiled widely and then frowned, and bluntly asked her how she'd not known how to swim at nearly six years old.

Sometimes back then he'd forgotten she was an orphan. The following week he'd taught her himself how to swim.

_'Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry for scaring you, I didn't mean to fall off the pier.' _

_'I wasn't scared! I was... angry.' _

_Giggle. 'Yes, if you say so.' _

Sasuke sighed, leaned back against the wall behind his bed.

_'I want... I want to protect her so badly, but I keep hurting her, don't I?'_ he thought to himself, his heart clinching in his chest.

"I'll never be worthy of forgiveness, Naru, but I swear I'll try everything to earn it, nonetheless."

He had to, after all she was his sun.

Without her, he wasn't sure what he was living for besides the desire to avenge and protect. A twisted sense of moral, even he saw the irony in those two being in the same sentence.

As it was, what was the the moon without the sun?

* * *

November.

Naruto wasn't sure why they chose such a month to leave Uzu no Kuni, but they had. Currently she was in her seventh month of pregnancy, and they had been staying in Whirlpool for about three months.

In those three months they had tried cleaning up Uzushio as much as possible.

Jiraiya did most of the grunt work, and Naruto wasn't comfortable making Shadow Clone.

Getting all the memories was one thing, but the fact the clones were exact clones, down to the fact she was pregnant weirded her out.

She learned the first time the hard way, they every time a clone dispersed it sent a strange shiver down her spine and while it didn't hurt the baby or cause pain, it was not pleasant either.

Like a cold chill, or when people said someone was walking over your grave – which was an old saying she'd heard once or twice.

Jiraiya had said it wouldn't hurt her or the babies, but if it made her uncomfortable then not to do it. Personally Naruto was just happy there was no sign of Akatsuki. The last thing she wanted was to put herself and her babies in danger.

Not to mention she pretty much had no access to chakra at her current stage of pregnancy. It made her feel unbelievably vulnerable.

Making it to Wave was easy enough, they still had the boat they'd rented. Finding Tazuna, also easy and it seemed Naruto was recognized by some who recalled the heroine who had fought on the bridge years before against two ninja and Gato.

"Oh, you're pregnant!" one woman exclaimed when they asked for directions.

It seemed Tazuna had moved his family to a place a little nicer, at least until Inari was older and inherited the old house for his family should he marry.

Come to think of it, Inari should be around twelve or so now, she thought absentmindedly.

"Uh, yes," she said, coming from her thoughts. "Seven months now."

The woman smiled, and didn't even bat an eyelash at how young Naruto was. It was true, Naruto was rather young. But she supposed in the elemental nations it wasn't unusual.

Some girls were married young, around her age actually – and Naruto was fifteen.

For shinobi it was even more common. Seeing as Shinobi had shorter life spans most times. Many were lucky to make it into their late twenties, so starting families at younger ages was expected.

Not to mention, though she was only fifteen, the Hitai-ate on her forehead showed that she was indeed an adult. And she had been for years.

Naruto herself had grown, mostly in the stomach area. She was rather large, which Jiraiya learned the hard way she was sensitive about. It was painfully obvious she was expecting, given she looked at if she'd swallowed a beach ball or two.

She wore a royal blue kimono with small white, red, orange, and silver dragonfly's decorating it, along with the Uzumaki spiral on the back.

For once her hair was not only pulled back by the clip which held the left side of her bangs back, but by a orange ribbon which held the back into a low ponytail.

"Do you know the gender yet?" the woman asked, and Naruto wondered if everyone asked such questions upon meeting a pregnant stranger, even if this woman knew who she was because of the bridge that was named after her.

"No, not yet," she admitted, and the woman smiled and nodded.

"I see, well Tazuna and his family moved into a home in that direction. It's the only one for about a quarter mile so you should find it easily enough," the woman said, pointing them in the right direction.

"Thanks you," Jiraiya said, nodding and the two left quickly.

Looking at Naruto, Jiraiya sighed.

"You know, this won't be easy... even after the babies are born," he said, brining up a topic he'd been wanting to for a while.

Naruto sighed.

"I know, I have to protect them and myself."

Jiraiya nodded.

"This was probably one of the worst times for it, but at least you safe now and happy," he said.

Naruto smiled in agreement.

"Yes. I just hope they're healthy. I'll worry about everything else after they are born."

Jiraiya smirked after a moment.

"For your sake, I hope they take more after you. God knows we don't need two more Uchiha's born with a stick up their ass."

Naruto sighed, her eye twitching.

She would have hit the man, but part of her agreed. It seemed to be a ailment of the main two clans of Konoha, Uchiha and Hyuuga. Though she'd noticed the Hyuuga seemed to have a entire tree stuck up theirs opposed to most Uchiha.

Coming out of her thoughts Naruto noticed they were soon to reach a house, on the large size, but not too large like a mansion or any of the clan heads family homes back in Konoha – the few she'd seen, mostly from a distance.

Smiling, Naruto stopped and looked at Jiraiya.

"We're here."


	6. Starlight's Part I

**So, the next chapter. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed and I hope you all enjoy this chapter. So please, tell me what you think. **

**I am currently working on the next chapter of Uzu no Musume for those who wonder about it. **

**Anyways, next chapter the twins will be born.**

* * *

**Heritage Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 6: Starlight's Part I. **

"Nee-chan!"

Naruto looked up from where she was reading a book on Fuuinjutsu against a large tree on Tazuna and his families new property.

Her dark blue dress she wore was a gift from Tsunami and it had little orange orange blossoms on it. Along with Jiraiya she had been staying with the family for two weeks.

A relatively peaceful time, actually Naruto couldn't recall a year she'd been more at peace.

Inari had grown since she'd last seen him, and was taller, and no longer wore his hat as often. She had thought he was about twelve but in reality the boy was only turning ten come December 25th.

"Inari," she replied, smiling and closing her book before placing it in her lap. "How are you?"

Inari smiled back, and rubbed the back of his head before replying, "Fine, Mom wanted to know if you were up to shopping today. You know, for the babies."

Naruto lent back further against the large tree, and stretched her legs out in front of her, placing a hand on her large extended stomach.

"I thought we'd already gotten everything," she said, and Inari shrugged.

"I guess not," he said, though he was just as surprised as her.

Over the weeks since they had arrived, news of the Hero of Wave's return had sparked through the village like wildfire. News that she was expecting twins had spread just as fast and gifts of baby clothes and other accessories along with food kept arriving.

Add this to the things his mother had taken Naruto to get, well he didn't see what else there was to buy. The baby wasn't due till January, or late December seeing as the local doctor had said twins were known to come a few weeks early at times.

"Alright, Otouto, let's go meet Tsunami-Kaasan," Naruto said and slowly began to rise from the ground.

It wasn't easy with all the extra weight, and Inari had to help her finish else she probably would have lost her balance halfway up.

"Careful, Ane-chan," Inari said with a short laugh.

Naruto rolled her eyes slightly at the amusement in her honorary brother's voice, and smiling the two took off for the house which wasn't far from the tree she'd been reading under. As they got closer to the front porch area Naruto stopped short, her eyes wide.

Standing there talking to Jiraiya, Tazuna and Tsunami was a tall man with familiar with silver-white hair.

"Hey, isn't that your sensei?" Inari asked, eyes wide.

Naruto knew at that moment, from Jiraiya's slight wince, and the fact Inari wasn't being quiet, that Kakashi had heard his outburst. As if in slow motion the man turned to face them, and it was almost comical how big Kakashi-sensei lone eye became.

She began to fear that it would pop out at any moment.

"Naru – Naruto!" he exclaimed, blinking. "You're...you...what, how?"

Turning to the Toad sannin, Kakashi narrowed his eye slightly.

"Jiraiya, please tell me that is a really realistic disguise."

Jiraiya's eyes widened and he blinked repeatedly as he tried to find the right words to say. On one hand it couldn't be worse than when the Village found out.

Or when the Uchiha boy himself found out. Which he had no idea when that would be, when he'd asked Naruto she'd gone silent and looked ready to cry.

Eventually he got the fact she wanted to wait until the twins would be a little older, not as defenseless. He figured she meant around four or five, which was usually how old children from clans like the Uchiha or Hyuuga were when they began training.

Apparently the idea of not telling Sasuke hurt his goddaughter a lot, but she didn't see much choice. She saw how much danger they could be in from enemy ninja of the Uchiha's, the Akatsuki, and even Orochimaru who was obsessed with the Sharingan.

After all, if he did get Sasuke's body, he'd eventually need a new one with the Sharingan, and Jiraiya saw the logic in that thought process. His old teammate was sick enough to try taking the twins for his own purposes.

But he was also surprised to find she didn't think Orochimaru would get Sasuke's body, apparently she thought she knew Sasuke well enough to know he'd never allow that.

"Well, I could, but I'd be lying," Jiraiya said. "Don't look at me like that, I had no idea she was even seeing anyone until she told me she was pregnant."

Kakashi glared slightly, thinking of how Minato-sensei would have taken this new turn of events. What worried him was who the father was, and so he turned his attention back to his student.

"Naruto, how, who..." he trailed off and Naruto smiled slightly.

He took time to notice that she'd grown since he'd last seen her. Not just the fact she was pregnant but she'd begun developing into a women in the time away.

She was a little taller, and was loosing the baby fat she still had. Her hair was also longer, and even though it was tied back in a braid, it still fell to just below her knees.

Currently she wore a dark blue dress with lace three quarter sleeves, and little orange blossom flowers. Orange and blue (no matter the shade), had always been colors associated with the sunset blonde.

Naruto smiled sheepishly as she answered, "Funny story that. Uh, long story short I've sort of, kind of been seeing Sasuke."

Kakashi blinked, her words not exactly sinking in completely.

"Sasuke? You were in a relationship with Sasuke... but that makes no sense, Naru. You can't be more then eight or nine months now."

Naruto shrugged.

"Close, but I'm barely into my eighth month. And, we weren't, aren't..." She groaned, placing a hand on her forehead before lowering and shaking her head. "You know what, I don't know what we are! This whole thing is new."

"In other words she's been sleeping with the enemy," Jiraiya added for Kakashi's benefit, but only earned a harsh glare from Naruto, which could have out done Kushina in Jiraiya's opinion.

Made him wonder if she took lessons from that Hyuuga girl she was friends with, because it was nearly worse then a Hyuuga glare (which many believed was a practiced trait for the members since they learned to walk).

"I see," Kakashi said, his mind trying to absorb this new information.

He had seen the chemistry between Naruto and Sasuke, hell it had been there before they'd become team Seven.

He also knew from the Sandaime that they'd been friends before Itachi killed the clan, and the trauma from it had driven Sasuke to break those ties with her.

He also knew the girl had been there the day Itachi had killed the clan, and had suffered similar to Sasuke the effects of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

The drama between the insane love triangle of Team Seven had outdone the one he remembered from his own team.

Usually it went girl likes mysterious boy, who likes no one, and hyper boys like girl who doesn't return his feelings.

In this case it was a little different.

Girl likes stoic-mysterious boy, who likes hyper-mysterious girl while in denial, who likes stoic-mysterious boy but doesn't know it, who tries to befriend girl who fangirls over stoic-mysterious boy.

If that made any since, it was a odd unique triangle anyways.

In the end Kakashi had known Sakura didn't have a prayer of winning Sasuke over. Because Sasuke had already been won even if he didn't admit it. Kakashi had realized this after the battle in Wave with Zabuza and Haku.

But after Sasuke had left for power, he'd not dreamed his two students would have hidden rendezvous.

He'd also not expected to come to Wave on this mission with Sakura, Ino and Chōji (still genin after the last chūnin exams) and find a heavily pregnant Naruto.

"Kakashi-sensei, you alright?" he heard Naruto say hesitantly. "You've just been staring at me..."

Blinking, Kakashi finally gave a eye-smile to his student, and smiled under his mask.

"I guess Sasuke did reach one goal of restoring his clan."

* * *

_Naruto stared down at the two bodies that laid beside each other. One a missing-nin that many called a demon, the other a boy who Naruto could have easily called a friend. _

_Haku's past reminded her a lot of her own, but was also quite a bit different. She didn't know how she could have handled knowing her parents only for her father to kill her mother and attempt to kill her. _

"_Naruto, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura yelled from where she knelt over Sasuke. "He's alive. Sasuke's alive!" _

_Kakashi watched as Naruto stiffened, her once shattered blue eyes which had turned a dark blue-gray color in her grief, brightened to their usual light cerulean hue, and she gasped. _

"_Sasuke?" she muttered to herself and turned, blonde hair flying around her and she took off in a fast jog to where they were and fell to onto her knees on Sasuke's other side. _

_Kakashi followed after her, realizing that the relationship between his blonde and raven haired students was more difficult than he'd once thought. _

_It was only strengthened when he saw Sasuke, still looking a little like a pin-cushion began to sit up only for Naruto to grab him into a hug. _

_He didn't miss the look that passed Sakura's green eyes. It was a mix of envy, confusion, realization and strong denial. _

"_I thought you were dead you stupid duck-ass jerk!" Naruto exclaimed and Sasuke groaned, but did not move to push her off or say anything for a moment. _

"_Naruto, you're going to hurt him, those senbon are still there," Sakura reprimanded and Naruto jerked back a second later. _

_Sasuke rolled his eyes. Truthfully it had been a little uncomfortable but on the other hand... it had been a long time since Naruto had been that close to him. He sort of missed being hugged, by anyone, but he'd never admit that so he said nothing. _

_Kakashi sighed as he watched this. He'd had his suspicions when he'd met them, but now he felt older. He knew relationships between team members were common, and love triangles were common as well. But none were more legendary then team seven. _

_He knew from experience how unlucky Team Seven truly was, and this was the first Team Seven in years. _

_Nearly two decades actually, he thought to himself. _

_He just hoped for his students sake everything ended well, but in the pit of his stomach he wasn't so sure they could break of the Team Seven curse. _

* * *

"So it's twins?" Kakashi asked, sitting at the table as he ate lunch with the family.

It seemed Tsunami and Tazuna had basically adopted Naruto into their family, though not officially by legal means.

When asked about it Naruto had basically said a piece of paper wouldn't tell them something they already knew, and she was already an adult being a kunoichi of Konoha.

Naruto nodded, lowering her chop-sticks back to her plate.

"Yes, I've been to the doctor in town and he confirmed it. Kyuubi was the one who told me first though."

"Kyuubi?" he questioned, startled.

Naruto laughed, shaking her head.

"I know, and don't worry. The fox isn't all that bad, though he's far from gentle either. I think he has his reasons for disliking humans, though I've not asked. It's not like he can actually do anything, the seal is even more advanced then Konoha thinks. Especially since it was developed by Uzumaki seal masters."

Kakashi blinked, and nodded. Truthfully it was news to him, he had believed the seal was created by Minato, but now he realized how foolish that was.

He'd have to have created it before that day to use it last minute as he had, and it took years to build a working seal of the level Naruto's was.

Minato may have done things to help finish it, being a genius in sealing on the level of an Uzumaki but even he couldn't come up with something like that on the spur of the moment.

Or in less then three years. It had taken him nearly four to make the Hiraishin what it was today.

"So, why are you here sensei?" Naruto asked after a moment. "A mission?"

Kakashi nodded.

"Yes, a C-Rank to escort a merchant here. I figured being in the area I'd come see Tazuna, and ran into Jiraiya," he said. "I'm here with Sakura, Ino and Chōji. Seeing as you and Sasuke..."

Kakashi stopped and shook his head, and seeing the flash of sadness in Naruto's eyes at Sasuke's name he regretted mentioning the Uchiha avenger.

"And Shikamaru is a chūnin now, so until the next exam those three will act as a team."

Naruto nodded, and bit her lip as she realized something.

"Um, where are they now?"

"In town, with the client. Otherwise they're at the hotel. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning," he replied, raising an eyebrow. "Why? Do you want to see them?"

Naruto's eyes widened and she shook her head.

"No... I don't think that would be a good idea," she said. "I don't want anyone from home to know. I didn't even want you to know, but it's kind of hard to hide once you saw me. I still have Akatsuki to worry about and the last thing I need is them knowing my weaknesses."

Kakashi frowned but nodded. He understood where she was coming from.

"And Sasuke?" he asked in a low voice, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Naruto sighed.

"I want to tell him. Kami knows I do, I can't help but think that maybe he'll come home and stop trying to shoulder all the weight of avenging his family if he knew. But another part of me is terrified that revenge is the only thing he'll respond to and he'll not care about me and the babies. Mostly I can't tell him yet because of Orochimaru. It's just not safe."

Naruto looked up at her sensei, forcing tears back from her eyes.

"You know how that man is about the Sharingan. If there is even a little chance they'll awaken their bloodline he'll want them. Between my own fear of rejection, Orochimaru and Akatsuki finding out I just can't tell him yet. Hopefully he wont hate me for keeping it from him."

Kakashi looked at the blonde in understanding and nodded.

"I understand, and I wont tell anyone, Naru. I promise, though I don't think you'll have to worry too much about Sasuke rejecting you. He may actually strive to protect you more, and Uchiha's have always been possessive people."

Naruto smiled, nodding.

"Thanks, Sensei."


	7. Starlight's Part II

**So, the long waited chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.**

* * *

**Heritage Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 7: Starlight's Part II. **

"_Sasuke! Stop this, what can he offer you that Konoha can't!" Naruto yelled as she pulled herself onto a standing positions on the water. _

_Sasuke stared down at her from his place onto one of the stone statues, the one of Uchiha Madara it looked like. _

_His eyes were blank of any emotion, at least any emotions that were even slightly positive. They were so dark and cold, like two black voids she found herself afraid of her best friend for the first time in her life. _

_Not even after the massacre had she seen him like this. _

"_Power." _

_Naruto gasped, her eyes widening and her iris and pupil almost appearing to get extremely small in her shock. _

_**'Neji was right after all, he really is lost...in his own darkness.' **she thought as she lowered her head and clinched her fist. _

"_Power?" she scoffed. "What about me, about Team Seven!?" _

_Looking up at Sasuke she yelled, the pain and anger obvious in her voice. _

"_What am I to you now, we're comrades... you're my best friend! Have you forgotten that, Sasuke, or do you simply not care!?" _

_Sasuke closed his eyes, a part of him grimacing at the pain and anger in the blondes voice. _

"_No," he began, his voice low but she could easily hear it. "For years I wanted to push you away, but despite that you have always remained my best friend." _

_Opening his eyes Naruto was only slightly surprised to see the blood colored orbs of his Sharingan glaring back at her. _

"_Because of that, you have and will always remain the closest to my heart." _

_Naruto shivered, in a both frightened and pleasant way. Suddenly her heart hurt even worse. He'd never come out and told her she was his best friend before. _

"_I don't understand... why are we fighting? I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU, SASUKE!" _

_Sasuke laughed bitterly. _

"_It's too late. I told you, you're my best friend, it's because of this... I must kill you." _

_**'WHAT!' **Naruto thought, her eyes getting even wider and her knees threatening to collapse out from under her. _

_Naruto gritted her teeth and glared, a new confidence flowing through her. She'd bring him home, even if she had to break every bone in both their bodies!_

* * *

_**Mizu no Kuni; January 27th: ** _

Sasuke wondered Mizu no Kuni (Water Country), the last place he knew his lover to have been. That had been months ago, though, and he didn't have a lot of time to spare.

He may not have been caged in the sound village but if he left for too long Orochimaru got paranoid and to put it bluntly – bitchy. The last thing he needed was the snake-bastard sending someone after him, only to discover him with Naruto.

He wasn't sure what the snake sannin thought he felt for the blonde, but he was pretty sure it was the opposite of his true feelings. They had acted more like rivals than best friends or more in this case. Though, truth be told he wasn't sure what exactly they were, besides lovers.

Were they together, in a way he knew his fangirls would have been crushed about. Or were they just a bit of fun – the last part didn't sound right at all. For some reason he knew it wasn't meaningless sex or conversation for him and Naruto.

It was more. It wouldn't be the first time he thought of what they could be in the future, many times in the past few years he'd thought one day finding a girl, marrying, and reviving his clan. In all those thoughts, Naruto was always the first and only to come his mind.

He wasn't sure that was even possible anymore. He was a traitor to not only his team, but to Konoha. The punishment could be anything, unless by some miracle most likely execution. Second chances were rarely given in the Shinobi world.

He digressed though. He had come to Mizu no Kuni knowing she would have most likely already left. It had been months since they'd last met after all. He knew her well enough to know she didn't stay in one area for longer than two weeks. He could admit to only himself, but he was beginning to go crazy without their hidden meetings.

"A young blonde girl, you say," one of the locals in the village, a fisher from the looks of it, said. "I do recall seeing such a person. Real young, with a older man with long white hair – a ninja from the looks of it. They rented a boat, said something about heading towards Nami no Kuni after stopping at the girls ancestral homelands."

"Ancestral lands," he muttered, thinking of what the man could mean.

The old fisher seemed to take it for a question and nodded.

"Yes," he said. "If I had to guess, I'd say they were heading for old Uzu no Kuni." The old man nodded again. "The girl reminded me of a noble, and the island itself, If I recall was owned by a family called Uzumaki, which is the name given on the forms to rent the boat. Hmm, what did you say her name was again, boy?"

Sasuke twitched at the mans words, but wasn't too surprised, more annoyed at the interruption of his own thoughts.

He knew little about Naruto's family, her being an orphan. But she had told him during their trip to Snow about what knew of her family.

She'd told him mostly of her mother, whose clan name she'd taken. How her mother had come from a allied land to Konoha, on the First Hokage's wife's request as a child.

Later, during the war Uzu no Kuni was attacked the lands, and shinobi village, Uzushiogakure, leveled in a huge battle between them, Kiri and Kumo.

"Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto," he answered, seeing no real reason not too.

"Strange name for a girl," the man said, shrugging. "Anyways, if you want I can get you a boat. It'll cost ya to rent of course."

Sasuke sighed.

"Fine, how much old man?"

It didn't matter to him, it was Sounds money anyway.

* * *

_**Nami no Kuni; December 31****th:** _

Uchiha Madara was amused.

Now, that wasn't exactly a good thing, commonly. This time was no different. The reason for his amusement was just as grim – at least in the fact he now knew something very few would realize for three or four years.

He had decided to locate the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki after a rumor floated around the older people of Mizu no Kuni about a girl with the name of Uzumaki.

Water Country was one of the few that remembered the one prosperous lands of the Uzumaki clan.

Even though Uzu no Kuni had been destroyed by Kiri and Kumo, many still recalled them, seeing as Uzushio had been gaining many jobs all over the nations.

One of the reasons they had been destroyed. He might have also helped push Kiri and Kumo in that direction with some subtle manipulation.

Petty revenge against Mito for sealing his pet away inside herself. Of course, he wouldn't admit that, what was the point?

There were actually civilian survivors from Uzu no Kuni that still lived around the nations, some in Water Country as it was close. Others in Nami no Kuni – though very few, if any that still recalled.

He knew a few of the more prominent clans, what other nations might reefer to as their royal clans for lack of better terms having survived.

The Uzumaki had been slaughtered to a few members. He knew of one maybe two other with blood-ties to the Uzumaki besides Uzumaki Naruto.

The Himura Clan, with a bloodline that had interested even him. The Shadow Walk (Shadouu~ōku).

The ability were similar to the Nara Clans hiden techniques over shadows, but very different seeing as it was a bloodline and allowed than complete control of shadows in anyway they wished.

It was a shame they had been massacred that day, none had survived.

The Namiki clan on the other hand had no bloodline, but was one of their treasured clans for their Kenjutsu which surpassed all others and weapons smiths.

As far as he knew only a few remained, one had a child and ended up in Konoha from what he knew.

The family name was no longer Namiki, as the daughter had changed the surname to make sure no one came after her and her son.

A son who later married a kunoichi from Konoha, and had his own daughter. Higurashi Tenten he thought her name might be.

The Namiki clan had never truly been his biggest concern, though there was a saying about knowledge being power.

The Honda clan was a bit more interesting. One of Uzushio's bloodline clans. The Honda had the ability of Shōton (Crystal Release). There were a few survivors, one he knew being a girl named Guren in Otogakure.

The Yuki clan he remembered was now no longer in existence as only one girl had survived the destruction of Uzushio. She fled to Water Country, married and had a son, Haku.

The son was now dead, as was their bloodline of Hyōton (Ice Release).

The Shirai clan was the last of the major clans of Uzushio, and had the bloodline of Shakuton – and interesting bloodline for Uzu no Kuni were the elements were rarely fire and more commonly lightning, water and wind.

From what he knew the Shirai clan had ended with a girl named Pakura from Suna. There had been a few others who survived but none alive as far as anyone knew.

He supposed he digressed though.

The Uzumaki girl was what mattered at the moment. When he'd found her in Nami no Kuni he hadn't expected to find her heavily pregnant.

From what he gathered by listening and watching the father was his wayward descendant, Uchiha Sasuke.

He had been sorely tempted to laugh at that, but than again. The Uzumaki woman had always attracted the Uchiha's attention, none had ever married or had children together though.

He would admit the very fact that the blood of a Uchiha and Uzumaki were mixing now intrigued him. The Uzumaki were known for their large chakra that was often times unique to them in ways – like Kushina's chakra chains – their vitality, and ability to live far longer than normal shinobi or humans in general.

A few hundred years in fact. Though, most were cut down in battle, and it took a lot more to kill an Uzumaki than one liked to admit.

Mixed with the Uchiha bloodline, it was bound to be interesting.

He knew this would be the perfect opportunity to capture the Kyuubi, but there was plenty of time for that. He was interested in seeing how his descendant and Mito's great-great niece would play out.

Looking up at the night sky, Madara snorted as he saw the moon high in the sky, a Blue Moon.

"How Ironic," he muttered.

Thinking of how the blue moon was appropriate for such a night, he looked towards the house the Jinchuuriki was staying at with some bridge builders family as yells began and he felt the pressure of Kyuubi's chakra begin to struggle for freedom.

"Huh, December 31st..." he muttered, and stood, deciding there was no point staying to watch the birth. "An interesting birthday, impatience must be something they inherited from the Uzumaki."

Even if the Uchiha were rather impatient themselves, Madara would never admit to that. Within seconds of his muttered words, Uchiha Madara was gone.

* * *

Naruto screamed as she sat in her bed, Tsunami, and Jiraiya around her. A doctor having been called, but at 3 AM, it would take a little while for them to arrive.

Thankfully, Tsunami was trained to help her deliver the twins, while Jiraiya was currently holding his hand over her seal and keeping it intact.

It seemed not to be a violent as her mother's had been, being a stronger seal, but it still made the contractions and labor pains in general a lot worse.

One of the plus sides was that she dilated a little faster, and wasn't in labor for very long. Though she'd been having contractions for hours without really realizing it.

She had thought she'd ate something that hadn't agreed with her, until her water broke fifteen minutes ago.

"Dammit, I'm going to kill Sasuke!" she yelled, clinching her hands into fist beside her. "Feels like someone is trying to shove a Chidori through me."

Jiraiya grimaced.

"Okay, there is something completely wrong about what you just said, Naru-chan," he said, and blanched as he looked towards Tsunami who was between Naruto's legs as the said blonde pushed.

Blinking back tears at the sight of a little black haired head peaking out he nearly pulled his hand from the seal and knelt over to puke. That was going to scar him for life.

"Ero-sennin!" Naruto growled, punching him rather hard in the side of the head. "Pay attention to the seal – ahhg!"

His ears rang at the sound of her scream, and Tsunami smiled.

"The heads almost out, Naru-chan," Tsunami said in a encouraging way.

Naruto smiled but then groaned.

"Wonderful, but then there is another one to get out...god I'm gonna castrate Sasuke," She grumbled, once again baring down to push. "Ahhg... this kid had to inherit his big head."

Jiraiya winced as red chakra burned against his hand and he glared slightly.

"No, bad Kyuubi, stay put dammit!" he snarled, and the chakra reseeded as he forced the seal to stay as secure as it normally was.

Another ten minutes passed and Naruto laid back against the headboard of her bed, breathing heavily, her stomach flatter than before. The doctor, having arrived just as the first baby – a boy – had been born was cleaning the twins up with Tsunami.

"You did good, brat," Jiraiya said from where he sat beside her bed in a chair.

Naruto smiled and the doctor and Tsunami walked over with two bundles.

Both were wrapped in dark blue blanket. Both had the Uchiha fan on the back and the orange-red spiral of the Uzumaki in a smaller size on the left corner.

They were handmade, but mostly by Tsunami. Naruto was a Shinobi, knitting wasn't something she could actually do. But Tsunami had taught her a little and she'd helped knit the symbols into the cloth.

One blanket was lined in white, the other in dark pink. This was to make it easier to tell them apart.

As the twins were placed in her arm, Naruto grinned and chuckled.

"Congratulations, Naru... it's a boy and girl," Tsunami said, smiling happily.

Looking at them it was easy to see whose children they were.

They had what looked like a typical Uchiha features, but they were also slightly rounder, not quite as sharp as Sasuke – well, at least the little girls was.

The little boy looked like he would be the spitting image of his father, with the same dark hair even if it was spikier.

Almost resembling a mix of Naruto's father and Sasuke's though only time would tell seeing as he had little hair being a newborn.

Both babies had the Uchiha pale skin.

Both babies also had the same whisker marks as her, which was surprising but not exactly unexpected. Most babies born to a Jinchuuriki gained marks from the bijū.

Many thought hers were from having the Kyuubi, but she had been born with them since her mother had been a Jinchuuriki before her.

She also knew it wasn't always something that would happen. It was a forty percent chance that all children she had would be born with them, despite being a Jinchuuriki.

She was pretty sure Mito Uzumaki had been a Jinchuuriki when her son was born, yet he hadn't had the marks while her daughter had.

According to history, the daughter, Senju Narumi, had been killed during a mission when she was eighteen and never had any children. In a way, she'd been named to honor her second cousin (or maybe it was third, she wasn't exactly sure).

The little girl had softer features, but it was still obvious whose child she was from her Uchiha features. Being twins the two obviously looked alike, besides gender of course.

The girls hair, had a bit of blue tent to it, surprisingly that she figured was either her blonde (red highlighted) hair mixing with Sasuke's black (though very unlikely as yellow, red and black shouldn't make blue), someone from her father's side of the family,or from the Uchiha side.

Sasuke's hair did at times take a bluish tent.

Both yawned and opened their eyes, which were almost surprising. The boy had the same eyes as Sasuke, a deep onyx she'd always loved. The girl had blue eyes, but they were slightly different from hers, not quite the same shade of Cerulean as her own. But they were still a stark contrast with her pale skin and dark hair.

"Figures they'd take more after their father," she said, smiling.

"They're beautiful," Tsunami said.

"They are," Naruto agreed, a single tear falling from her own joy. "Hello babies."

Jiraiya chuckled.

"Her eyes," he said. "They remind me of your mothers, but lighter. Quite a bit lighter, actually but still in that same shade of violet-blue."

"Onee-chan," Inari said, coming in with Tazuna after having been given permission from the doctor. "What are they!?"

Naruto laughed as the boy jumped onto the rather large bed beside her only to stare open mouthed at the two small babies. They were not unhealthy, despite being a few weeks early, but she wasn't too surprised.

Uchiha's were either on time, or fashionably early.

"It's a boy and girl," she replied. "The one with the dark eyes is a boy, the one with the blue is a girl. The boy is older and the girl is younger by three minutes."

Inari smiled.

"What are their names?" Tazuna asked, taking a drink of saké even though Tsunami was looking at him in a scolding manner for drinking around the babies.

"It took me a while to decide, but I did," she began, "The boy is Uchiha Kiyoshi, and the girl is Uchiha Nariko."

Jiraiya smiled in amusement.

"Quiet and Thunder," he said, chuckling. "I think you may come to regret such names if their personality is anything like their names."

Naruto rolled her eyes.

"Probably, but that's their names," she said, and the two babies looked back up at their mother with what seemed to be contentment.


	8. The Lovers

**AN: So, I want to thank everyone for the reviews so far. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

**Fair warning, Sasuke may be a little OOC this chapter, but when you have an Uchiha paired with someone and in love it's impossible for them not to be a tad out of character.**

**Also, for anyone who wants to see what Kiyoshi and Nariko will look like once their around the ages of 3-5 there is a link on my profile. Along with her battle kimono as well. **

**The pictures are just edited screenshots from the anime which should be obvious as I can't draw anything but scenery very well. You'll also notice Naruto's kimono is similar to Temari's in Shippudan. It is a edited version of it. **

* * *

**A Quiet Thunder Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 8: The Lovers. **

Nearly a full month had passed since the night of the Blue moon, and her childrens birth.

A rare time for anyone to be born, seeing as blue moons weren't exactly something that happened every month. Sometimes, as far as she knew, they didn't happen every year.

She'd laughed upon realizing this. It was a strangely Uchiha-like thing to do, being born on the blue moon. Though if Jiraiya's memory was right she'd been born on a full moon.

Naruto didn't necessarily think to much on this, as she didn't really hold much for symbolism in things like being born on certain days or lunar cycles.

But she was babbling.

She was just happy to be through with the pain of childbirth.

Naruto had decided it was best for them to stay in Wave for a while after having the twins. Or at least until they were a little older and she and Jiraiya knew where they would go next.

As it was, with two infants with them they'd have to be careful as to where they went and what attention they attracted.

A part of her wanted to visit Suna. She had decided months ago she wanted to ask Gaara an important question. When she returned to Konoha she'd ask Hinata, Sakura and Kakashi the same question.

She'd at first thought of asking Tsunade but she figured she might enjoy the role of grandmother more than godmother.

Not to mention her being so much older... if anything did happen to her or Sasuke the chances of the Hokage being able to care for a child was slim. After all, the Sandaime had only been able to do so much for her with the time he had to spend working as Hokage.

It was pretty obvious what the question was, she was going to ask them if they'd be Kiyoshi and Nariko's godparents.

She wasn't sure if it was even allowed for her to have two sets of godparents, one for each twin. But by the ramen gods she was doing it.

Of course if anything did happen to her she suspected they'd decide who had the better resources and time to care for the twins and not split them up.

It was simply precaution, after all, Gaara was all the way in Suna. Hinata, Sakura and Kakashi were in Konoha.

This was all to prepare for the worst case scenario. But better to be safe than sorry.

The twins themselves were growing so quickly, at least in her eyes. She was always happy to be with them, and even if they were yet to be a complete family it was a start.

Someday she had hope Sasuke would return with her to Konoha and they'd be a true family.

Part of her feared a possible rejection though, after all, they hadn't planned on being parents so young. They really hadn't planned anything seeing as she wasn't even sure what they were to each other.

She knew her feelings for him, but she wasn't sure what she was to him. Not anymore anyways.

Ero-sennin would tell her she worried too much. That he doubted the Uchiha boy would reject her, seeing as if he felt nothing he'd have killed her at the Valley of The End all those months ago.

She couldn't help but want to believe that, but Sasuke was an enigma even to her at times.

On another note, nearly two weeks after having the twins she was able to return to more physical training. This wasn't exactly easy though, since she had to be a mother to her children as well.

Thankfully she was quickly falling into a routine on how to train and take care of Kiyo-chan and Nari-chan (nicknames she'd given the two ravens).

She would either have them with her, being watched by one of her shadow clones while she trained. Or she'd watch them while she made hundreds of shadow clones to work on her training.

The down side of using shadow clones to train was it didn't work to build muscles or even speed, it just gave her the experience and knowledge after expelling. So she had to work on physical aspects of training herself.

Thankfully she also had Tsunami to watch the twins for her, which she hated to ask at first, but the older woman had taken a shine to the children she'd helped deliver.

Seeing Naruto as a daughter, Tsunami saw herself as one of the twins' grandmothers. Something Naruto was happy to allow.

Tsunami herself had been surprised by how quick Naruto recovered from having Kiyoshi and Nariko, but the Uzumaki healing and healing she received as the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki made what might have been a month wait into almost a full two weeks.

In the five weeks since Kiyoshi and Nariko were born she hardly looked like she'd had twins, though she hadn't quite lost all of her baby weight.

As for Tazuna, Tsunami and Inari, they had really taken to the twins as she'd said. And Naruto was more than happy to have Tsunami's help when she was at a loss as to what Kiyo-chan and Nari-chan wanted.

Currently she was finishing mid-day training with Jiraiya, her hair pulled back into a long low ponytail held back by a white ribbon. Her bangs and fringe framing her face, the small blue hair-clip that held one side out of her face in place.

She wore a short-sleeved, black kimono that bled into a dark orange-red around her knees and reached down her legs to just above her ankles, with slits along the sides that reach just past her mid thighs.

Under this she wears a mesh armor long sleeved shirt which is seen from the rather low cut of the neckline, and the fact the long sleeves continue just past her wrist area.

Under the skirt area of the kimono are mesh shorts that stop a few inches above her knees, which are seen briefly when she moves.

A long dark blue sash is tied around her waist, and in a small loose bow in the back with the left over parts of sash free, and loose like two tails that stop just above her knees.

She also wears standard shinobi sandals, or more like boots seeing as they go up to her shins and have a very short heel.

Of course, Naruto isn't very tall, barely 5'2, which is better than the 4'11 she was two years before when she'd first become a genin.

Which made her realize it had been a year since she'd been back to Konoha, and two years since she, Sakura and Sasuke had become Team Seven.

But she digressed.

To finish her look there was the standard spiral of her clan. A larger one on the back of the kimono in orange-red, and a white clan spiral on the left sleeve of her kimono at her shoulder.

Very similar to the white one on the orange and blue jacket she'd had since she was little but hardly ever wore anymore.

Not only was it too small now but it was also much brighter orange and stood out more.

Naruto may love orange but she wasn't stupid, she knew the dangers of wearing too much orange as a ninja on a mission.

Training, or on her down time, that was another story. Over time she'd out grown the need to draw attention to her by wearing loud colors or decking herself out in kill-me orange.

Besides she had other colors she liked besides orange.

But moving on.

On her forehead was her hitai-ate, though the blue fabric had been changed for a black fabric not long after she'd left with Jiraiya on the training trip.

Around her neck was another hitai-ate but this one had a spiral, the symbol of her clan and Uzushio and had a dark violet-blue fabric.

She'd found the hitai-ate while they were staying at her clan house in Uzushio, and suspected it to belong to her mother since it had been in her room – something easy to figure out when there were names written on metal plaques on the doors in kanji.

The only bedrooms that didn't have a plaque were quest rooms, and the master bedroom.

Despite her mother never being a Uzushio Kunoichi it was obvious Uzushio considered her one since they'd left a hita-ate in her room, probably for if or when she came to visit.

Seeing as Uzushio no longer existed Ero-sennin hadn't said anything when she'd begun wearing the symbol of her mothers village. Even if they were still around, it was her right as the Uzumaki heir to wear it despite being a Konoha ninja.

The whole reason for the new wardrobe, and change from her old orange and black attire was the fact it no longer fit. With the slight increase of height, baby weight which she was steadily loosing through training, and increased breast size.

Which apparently was normal with pregnancy and was to accommodate breast milk - or something along those lines. Eventually they would go down to normal, but from what Tsunami said they may not go back to the exact size they'd been before she'd gotten pregnant.

She'd never been happier she'd sealed a few outfits from her clan home away for latter use.

There was quite a bit not harmed from the destruction and there was no point wasting money on new clothes if she had things that belonged to her through inheritance that she could wear.

"You're getting better at the Hiraishin," Jiraiya said, and Naruto smiled slightly.

Picking up the three pronged kunai as she stood, Naruto dusted off her kimono and tucked a bit of her long hair that wasn't retrained behind her ear.

"I think I need to work on my natural speed more though," she said, shrugging slightly.

After a moment she continued.

"The dizzy effect it has one me is bearable, but could be a liability in battle. I think it is caused because the Hiraishin is nearly to fast to be seen by the naked eye, and the normal human body to keep up with - seeing as you're moving nearly at the speed of light. Unless I train my speed I remain unable to keep up my awareness and eyesight once I reappear."

Ero-sennin grinned slowly, with what Naruto thought was pride in his eyes, and clapped.

"I was wondering when you'd catch on to that. It was something your father had to work around as well, but his speed was more by the time he'd begun using it in the war than yours currently is. It's also one of the reasons your mother never mastered the move. If she had lived and given a few years she probably would have."

Naruto nodded and ran a hand over the ponytail she'd moved to rest over her left shoulder. A habit of hers, running her hand over or brushing through her long hair. It calmed her down or simply gave her something to do when bored.

"That's enough for today," Jiraiya said, glancing at the sky where the sun sat brightly. "Tsunami is headed this way with your brats, brat."

Turning around briefly she could tell her sensei was right, the dark haired woman was walking towards them, the twins with her in a baby sling, and a extra sling with her.

"I wish you wouldn't call them that," Naruto said, rolling her eyes. "Kyuubi has been singing the same for months now."

Jiraiya raised a concerned eyebrow.

"Oh, has he been contacting you often?"

Naruto chuckled.

"Not exactly. The easiest way to enter the seal in through meditation," she began. "I simply meditate some and he likes to rant. Since the twins birth the space he has has grown so he's mostly been quest as of late."

Jiraiya nodded.

"Naru-chan, Jiraiya-sama, you both seem to be working hard," Tsunami said as she came to a stop hardly a foot from them.

Naruto couldn't help but express how happy she was to see her two raven haired children.

It had been hours, and she didn't know if all new mothers had a hard time being separated from their babies at first or not, but she knew she did.

In the first week she'd returned to training it had been hard for her to think of anything but Kiyoshi and Nariko and focus on training. Weeks later it still wasn't easy.

Tsunami handed her the extra sling, which she slipped on. It was made so one baby could rest on her back safely and the other on her chest.

"I think Kiyo-chan, and Nari-chan were missing you, Naruto," Tsunami said as the blonde teenager she thought of as a daughter reached for one of the twins, cooing softly as she pulled Kiyoshi to cradle to her chest.

Naruto smiled.

"I missed them too," she said and placed Kiyoshi in the front of the baby sling and then took Nariko from Tsunami and repeated the cooing, though cuddling her to her chest was a bit harder with Kiyoshi secured there.

"I hope they weren't any trouble though, if they're anything like their father they're stubborn," she said and Jiraiya snorted.

"They have a double dose of that then, brat," he said. "You're the most stubborn person I know other than your parents."

Naruto pouted and allowed Tsunami to help her get Nariko into a secured position on her back.

"They were no trouble," Tsunami said. "I enjoyed watching them, it's been so long since Inari was their age."

"Thank you," Naruto said, smiling. "I think I'm going to go introduce them to two old acquaintances today. It's close by so it's the perfect time."

Jiraiya blinked, unsure of what the girl meant. After all, she didn't really know anyone away from Konoha.

"Who are you talking about, kid?" he asked.

Naruto smiled sadly, and replied, "Zabuza and Haku."

Naruto recalled them with the most clarity of anyone she'd met outside the village – besides Inari and his family. Her extended family, she thought to herself.

She had actually thought of naming Kiyoshi, Kohaku in honor of Haku, but upon seeing her little boy she realized the name simply didn't suit him.

Nor did it suit Nariko. But she would keep the name for the future, after all, she'd always wanted a large family having grown up with nothing.

"Right, those missing-nin from your first C-Rank?" Jiraiya said more than asked.

Naruto nodded.

"Their graves aren't far. I'll see you both back at the house in about an hour," Naruto said, giving herself plenty of time before they began to worry.

She didn't plan to stay long, ten or fifteen minutes but she also thought it might be nice to go to a small meadow area close to the sea she'd found while exploring Nami no Kuni and the village.

Despite them being young, she didn't want the twins to only see the house, village and woods. She knew she'd get bored of that easily herself.

They might not remember, but she recalled her childhood only seeing the inside of Konoha and the forest.

Tsunami and Jiraiya nodded and left in a one direction while she headed in another.

What she found at the grave sight was not what she expected.

_Sasuke._

* * *

It had taken him a few days to get to Nami no Kuni, much to his annoyance.

Upon arriving he located the first place to rest for a little while and then proceeded to a place he had not been in a while; Zabuza and Haku's grave.

It didn't seem like that long ago he'd stood in the very place, wanting to comfort Naruto yet being unable too. Not only because of his pride either. He hadn't had an attachment to either one of the two missing-nin.

Unlike Naruto who seemed to make bonds so easily.

The sunny blonde had a way of changing someone or bringing the best out in them.

She'd done, or had begun, doing the same to him. Long before he'd even begun to notice, really.

Ambivalent, a word hardly used but suited to Sasuke in many ways. Maybe not to a 'T' but enough that the word was something he'd remembered from somewhere.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke stiffened for a minute as he heard a almost husky voice mutter his name behind him.

He smiled, almost nonexistent.

"Dobe," he returned, and began to turn around to face who he knew to be there.

The first thing he saw was beautiful blue eyes, brighter than the sky – in his opinion.

Smooth sun-kissed skin and silky looking sunset blonde hair which looked to be in a low ponytail that she had draped over her left shoulder.

She was wearing something new, probably because she outgrew them as she looked to have gone through a small growth spurt, if the fact her breast looked a size bigger was anything to go by.

It was a battle kimono of sorts, mesh armor shirt, and short under it and split up the sides almost to her hips for movement.

Dark blue sash around her waist, the color of the kimono itself seemed to be a black that almost seemed a dark purple in the light that hit it which bleed into a dark orange-red that resembled flames the way it blended around the knee area.

On one shoulder he saw the white spiral symbol he knew to belong to her clan, like the orange-red one sure to be on the back of the kimono.

It suited her.

It was seconds later his eyes focused on something else which his brain had yet to catch up too.

A sling was over her chest, off white in color. The sling was not empty, and it wasn't for an injured arm either. Against her chest was one lump, and he glimpsed pale skin and rave hair, the same could be made out over her shoulder.

Babies.

Raven haired, pale skinned, one with what appeared to be dark eyes though he saw them at an angle so he could be wrong, and the other with a shade of blue. He was sure he saw whisker marks on both babies cheeks.

Babies, his mind repeated and he blinked.

"Na-ru-to..." he said slowly, drawing out her name. "Are... how...when?"

He felt faint for a moment, but shook it away. He was an Uchiha, Uchiha did not faint, even if they did suspect the women they loved to have had their children without them realizing it.

Naruto smiled softly, yet slowly, and began walking closer. As she got closer he saw the babies more closely, and realized there was no way they were anything but Naruto's. No one had those whisker marks other than her.

"Well, when and male and female love each other very much, or are simply into one another they decide to have sex...and sometimes the male and female forget basic sex education and..."

Sasuke sent the blonde a glare which held no anger or any emotion other than to let her know not to be stupid.

"Dobe, I know how babies are made," he said.

He looked from her laughing blue eyes down to the baby on her chest and the one on her back, looking over her shoulder at him with bright, light violet-blue eyes.

Not the exact shade of Naruto's but still blue. He figured they must be inherited from one of her parents, he wasn't sure who they were or what they looked like though.

As he stared he felt his stomach flutter and flop around. His chest felt tight and almost lethargic at the same time. So many emotions ran through him he wasn't sure where one began and another ended.

"I'm sorry, but it was too good to pass up," she said. "How did you find me?"

He smirked.

"You told me you were heading to Water Country, I just asked around. Eventually I found a lead. I didn't expect to find you here though, I thought by now you'd have moved on."

Naruto nodded, and then ran a hand through the baby with onyx eyes, he now realized, hair. It was a beautiful sight he realized as his breath caught in his throat.

"Well, I couldn't go far," she said.

"Why didn't you tell me, Naru?" he asked suddenly and he almost regretted it when he saw her eyes tear over.

"I wanted too, but I didn't even know until I was already in Mizu no Kuni. I'm pretty sure I conceived in May..." she began.

"May, but they don't look as if you'd had them too recently. They look at least a month old," Sasuke interrupted, trying to mentally figure out when they'd been born.

Honestly he was still shocked. He hadn't even thought of the possibility their time together would produce twins, but than he should have thought of that.

Thinking back on it he just assumed she was on the pill like most Kunoichi their age.

He was pretty positive she had been too, seeing as he recalled accidentally coming across it on their mission to snow when he'd been looking in her bag for extra kunai.

That had been awkward, thankfully no one had been around to see him blush.

Nonetheless he wasn't upset or displeased with the development.

Actually the only emotion under the happiness and curiosity was fear. Fear of being a bad father and fear of history repeating. He'd wanted to restore his clan, but not until Itachi was gone.

"They were born on December 31st, a few weeks early actually," Naruto said, shaking him from his thoughts. "It isn't uncommon for twins to be early though."

Sasuke nodded and hesitantly reached out, stopping just as his hand would touch the feathery looking hair on the onyx eyed babies head he heard Naruto giggle – a uncommon occurrence for the blonde.

"Don't be a scaredy cat, Sasuke," she said, and smiled brightly at him.

Reaching out she guided his hand and laid it on the babies head, her hand covering his gently.

"See, it's fine," she said.

Sasuke frowned for a moment and than smiled, a true smile for once.

"I'm sorry I didn't try to find you, and tell you. I'm sorry to say I didn't plan to tell you until they were older... but I was just afraid. I don't even know what we are, what we're doing. I have enemies who would use them against me – Akatsuki especially – and Orochimaru."

Looking up Sasuke noticed Naruto was close to crying.

"He's obsessed with the Sharingan, if there is even a hint of a chance they'll awaken it... he'll want them too. I've already lost you, I can't loose them too!"

Sasuke let his hand fall from the place he had it on the babies head and moved it to cup Naruto's cheek.

He gritted his teeth together, understanding what she meant. While it hurt that she would leave him in the dark for years if she'd had the chance, he understood why.

The less people to know the safer it was.

She was also right about Orochimaru. In that moment he wondered who was more dangerous to his children – something he still wasn't quite used too, but enjoyed being able to say immensely – Itachi or Orochimaru.

In that moment he regretted leaving Konoha more than ever.

Though if he hadn't left, he had to wonder if the twins would have been born. He knew he still would have loved Naruto, but would they had been born? Probably, he thought.

"You haven't lost me, Naru-chan," he said, his voice more gentle than Naruto had heard since they were children, before the massacre.

"I would go back with you right now if it wasn't for the fact it would only cause Orochimaru to come looking for me. It's better I continue with what I started and once I have enough power, kill him myself. Then Itachi, after my brother is gone I'll come home, and face the consequences of my leaving."

Naruto blinked, not wanting to cry at his words.

They were bittersweet, and involved a lot of waiting she realized.

"You promise?" she asked.

Sasuke reached into his shirt and pulled out a silver chain necklace with a small Uchiha fan pendant.

"I promise," he said and almost choked on the next words. Not because he didn't mean them, but because he'd not told anyone these certain words since his clan had been alive. "I love you, Uzumaki Naruto. This necklace will be my promise."

Naruto's eyes widened and she gaped at the onyx eyed boy – no man – before her.

She had never heard him say those words, not since before the massacre and she'd never expected to hear them directed at her. Her heart burst with joy and she smiled.

"I love you too," she replied and allowed Sasuke to latch the necklace around her neck.

"What are their names?" he asked, and Naruto could have hit herself.

She hadn't given him their children's names.

"Uchiha Kiyoshi is the oldest and the one on my chest," she answered, smiling proudly. "Uchiha Nariko is the one on my back."

Sasuke surprised her again by smiling, and not in the subtle Uchiha way, this one was almost a full blown grin.

Naruto seeing the look in his eyes knew what he was afraid to ask and gently pulled Kiyoshi from the sling.

Seeing Sasuke's eyes widen so much when she practically shoved the wide awake baby, which looked so much like him but with what seemed like spikier hair, into his arms she couldn't help but burst into laughter.

For now, she realized, she was happier than she'd been since just after their first C-rank mission, before the horror of the Chūnin Exams.

For in that moment their family was together, and though she knew it was temporary at the moment, she would treasure it.


	9. The End Is Never The End

**AN: So, another chapter. **

**I want to thank those who reviewed, I was glad everyone enjoyed that chapter. In this chapter we see a little more Sasuke/Naru. The next chapter will probably be them leaving Wave Country and heading towards a safe house of sorts. Then possibly to Suna. **

**As for timeline, in case anyone is confused. **

**I've made it so when they became genin Sasuke and Sakura were already thirteen, and Naruto would be turning thirteen in a few months, two since I have them graduating in August. **

**By the Chunin Exams Sasuke and Sakura were fourteen and Sasuke defects in October a week or so before Naruto turned fourteen. **

**Currently they are all fifteen. Sakura will turn sixteen in March, Sasuke in July, and Naruto in October. **

**This means Shippuden will be pretty AU, because they're about a year and half older, give or take.**

**Anyways, enjoy this chapter! **

* * *

**A Quiet Thunder Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 9: The End Is Never The End. **

"Kabuto, has Sasuke returned yet?"

Orochimaru of the sannin was... well no one was sure there was a word for his brand of evil. Monster? Devil in disguise? Insane? Immoral?

All good words to describe him, but none that truly fit into the enigma he portrayed. But that didn't matter, not many people actually liked the snake sannin.

Even his teammates were past the point of bringing him back and were more than content to ignore his existence or find a way to destroy him.

Tsunade couldn't do much. Not because she was less powerful, no in retrospect the slug sannin was probably the most powerful of the three sannin.

The reason being she was Hokage, she had duties that unfortunately kept her behind a desk at most hours of everyday.

Jiraiya, well he was as perverted as ever and it wasn't easy to pull him away from his research.

Add to the fact he had his spy network which was no secret though no one had ever been able to pinpoint any of his contacts.

Orochimaru had also heard he had a new apprentice, his students daughter and legacy, Uzumaki Naruto.

Orochimaru remembered that girl from the exams, she'd been a teammate of Sasuke.

She had showed potential, and he'd thought of leaving her with the same gift as Sasuke but after realizing her connection to Namikaze Minato and the Kyuubi he'd thought better of it.

He had no idea what his cursed mark would do in correspondence to the Kyuubi.

Worse case scenario it would kill her, second case... Kyuubi was able to bend it to act as his own cursed mark, and he lost any control of it and the girl.

Both were interesting and he'd wanted to see if his speculations were correct but he'd never gotten the chance. Not enough time after marking Sasuke. Shame.

The blonde had reminded him strongly of Uzumaki Kushina and Tsunade herself. No surprise there since the former was the Yondaime's legacies mother and the Tsunade was related to her through Uzumaki Mito.

Alas, she was out of his reach now.

"No, he hasn't," Kabuto said, it was clear in his tone he was suspicious. "It makes me wonder what he is doing on these outings of his. This is the longest he's been gone since he's arrived."

Orochimaru laughed, his eyes gleaming in a way that would make even Kabuto shiver if he were not used to it.

"You don't doubt Sasuke will return, do you Kabuto?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Kabuto shook his head.

"Not exactly, I just find it curious that he leaves at least once a month at times, and yet he's been gone for two weeks this time."

Orochimaru frowned but nodded.

"I can see your concern, but Sasuke-kun needs me to achieve his goal, he'll return. I'll give him another week, and then send out some of our shinobi to check on his whereabouts."

* * *

After spending some times at Haku and Zabuza's grave, Naruto and Sasuke headed back towards the village and Tazuna's – where she'd told Sasuke she'd been saying since November.

Naruto now had Nariko on in her arms, held to her chest securely. The dark haired baby girl didn't seem to mind at all, though both babies seemed to have an instant interest in Sasuke.

It wasn't all that surprising, he was their father, and maybe, just maybe they knew the man was even if they'd never seen him before today.

As for Kiyoshi, Sasuke held him. Something he did rather naturally after he'd gotten over the fact she'd handed him a baby to hold that was practically his mirror image. She'd never seen the Uchiha so shocked, not even when they'd been kids.

It was undeniably cute though. Kiyoshi had stared at him with wide onyx eyes that were identical to his own, and began touching anything in his reach. Instantly though his hands had found Sasuke's hair.

Naruto wasn't sure if it was the color, strange style it naturally laid in, or just the twins fascination with hair, but they were both drawn to a persons hair. Especially hers, Jiraiya's and now Sasuke's.

She's never seen Kiyoshi so keen on playing with anyone's hair though, not even her own sunny locks which both children liked.

She couldn't blame them though, she herself always liked Sasuke's hair and took any chance she'd get to play with it. It was such a unique style after all, and was softer than it looked.

But enough on hair.

"They always sleep this much?" Sasuke asked, drawing her out of her strange thoughts.

True, both had fallen asleep in their parents arms, Nariko leaning on her chest and Kiyoshi on Sasuke's.

She chuckled.

"Only during the day," she said, smiling. "They have some lungs on them. They're not as fussy as they were when the first two weeks though."

Sasuke felt a wave a guilt creep into his chest as he realized what he had missed. Not only had he missed being there for Naruto while she was pregnant, but his children's birth. She must have had a hard time, with only Jiraiya to help her.

Though he supposed she had Tazuna's family the last two months. It still didn't help the guilt, especially since he knew he would have to leave again.

Looking at her with the raven haired baby girl in her arms, the baby dressed in a dark pink, that was not far off from a red, with a Uchiha fan on the back, he wished he could stay.

He also felt warmth, knowing Naruto would actually give them his name. Since they weren't born in Konoha she was not under any law to given them his clan name.

Considering she was the last of two clans as important and old as his own she could have easily given them the Uzumaki or Namikaze name.

But she'd chosen to give them his name, and even gone so far as to get his symbol sown into their clothes. Not everyone would have done that.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here," he muttered before his pride could kick in and stop the words he wanted to say.

Naruto grinned at him, her blue eyes nearly twinkling.

"I know, and I don't blame you. A part of me was actually relieved you weren't," she frowned, looking down almost ashamed. "I was so confused for a while, and I was afraid those nights didn't really mean much for you as they did me. I was afraid you'd reject us."

Sasuke clinched his jaw, unsure of what to say. He felt worse than before but at the same time he understood her fear. Naruto had always had some insecurities, because of growing up hated by the Village. He wasn't mad at her though.

"I wouldn't have. Those nights, they meant just as much to me, otherwise I wouldn't have come," he said, and smiled lightly at her.

A smile he'd only ever allowed Naruto to glimpse since Itachi had gone crazy and slaughtered everyone but him.

"I'm glad," she said, her voice full of happiness and relief. "Ero-sennin did say I was worrying too much. Kakashi seemed to think so to."

Sasuke blinked.

"Kakashi?" he asked. "He knows as well?"

She sighed.

"Not by choice, exactly. It was about a month before I had them. He was on a mission and decided to visit Tazuna and his family. He saw me and it was pretty obvious I was pregnant, so I had to tell him. He promised to keep it to himself until I returned to Konoha and was ready to let everyone know."

Sasuke nodded.

"Good, the less to know the better," he said and Naruto nodded in agreement.

It was then they had come to the house and Naruto bit her lip.

"Uh, Sasuke... Jiraiya... might not be too welcoming."

Sasuke smirked.

"I was aware that might be the case," he said as they stopped at the front door. "Don't worry, I am prepared for that."

Naruto nodded and opened the door, and entered.

"I'm home, and I brought someone with me!" she called out as she slipped her shoes off and put on some slippers.

Sasuke did the same out of respect for Tazuna's family and old habit.

"Oh good, I'll have dinner done before long if you want to come help me after putting the twins down!" he heard Tsunami called from inside the what he suspected to be the kitchen.

"Oi, brat you're back."

Sasuke looked entered the living room behind Naruto and waited for the white haired sannin to look up from the scroll he was looking at.

"Tazuna has finished a plan for the bridge connecting Uzu no Kuni too..."

Jiraiya stopped his words short when he looked up only to see Naruto holding one twin, while a taller boy stood at her side holding the other. It only took him a second to realize who it was.

Uchiha Sasuke.

"You," he nearly snarled.

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"Me," he replied dryly.

Standing the sannin glared at him and frowned seeing he was holding one of the twins.

He wasn't sure if it was because he was holding Kiyoshi, or because it meant the toad sannin couldn't attack him. By the way he looked at him, Sasuke was going to go with the latter of the two.

"If you hurt Naruto in any way again, I'll make you wish your brother had finished you before he left Konoha," Jiraiya said, not even caring that his words might bring up bad memories for the raven. "If you weren't holding Kiyoshi, I'd beat the traitor right out of you."

Sasuke smirked widely, and nodded.

"I understand, and I give you my word as the Uchiha heir that I won't hurt her or Kiyoshi and Nariko."

Jiraiya seemed to search him for something before nodding.

"Alright then, but this doesn't mean I want you here. I just know Naruto does, and she'll be upset if I ran you out of town," he said and sat back down. "Sit down or something brats. Naru, we need to speak about the bridge and construction on Uzushio and surrounding areas as well."

Sasuke looked at Naruto and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

Naruto laughed softly and nodded.

"Alright, sensei," she said, before turning to Sasuke.

"I'll explain later," she told him and he nodded, following his blonde to the bassinets he figured were for the twins.

* * *

Later Naruto did explain to him what Jiraiya meant about construction and her mothers homelands.

He wasn't too surprised how long they had stayed in Uzu no Kuni and in Uzushio before coming to Nami no Kuni and he could understand her feelings concerning Whirlpool.

If he were in her place he'd want to restore his ancestral lands as well, even if they'd been gone since before he was born.

She'd explained that she was hiring Tazuna to build a bridge connecting one side of Uzu no Kuni to Nami no Kuni.

The location would be secret from anyone outside Nami no Kuni and she'd already gotten permission from the Wave Daimyo who was interested in being allied with Whirlpool once more.

To find out that once she was older Naruto was basically be the daimyo of her own country had surprised him, but she'd simply laughed it off.

Said she was still living in Konoha, and had no desire to move to Uzu no Kuni, but that taking her place as daimyo was simply a political move on her part.

Fact was if she wanted to rebuild her mothers lands to their former glory she had to take her inheritance, her full inheritance as the last Uzumaki heir.

To stop something like an invasion from happening again she and Jiraiya were looking into seals more than ever.

Naruto had a natural ability with them and though she wasn't a seal master by any means, yet, someday she would be if Jiraiya's words were any indicator.

The first seals would be on the area around the bridge to keep those with harmful intentions out. A few trap seals if they got past the ones that would detect them.

If they got past those and made it past a certain point on the bridge a seal alarm would go off and warn her of a possible hostile party.

The bridge would be towards the back of Uzu no Kuni in the only place that a bridge could be safely built because of the whirlpools around the island.

Considering she would mostly be using the island as a vacation and training grounds there would most likely never be a reason for anyone to invade.

Maybe in a years to come she'd open Uzu no Kuni to once again house people, though she doubted she'd ever have need to reestablish Uzushio as more than a personal vacation spot for her and her family.

A private village of sorts.

Sasuke thought it was all a good idea.

He also pointed out that being a Daimyo of her own country gave her a bit more free reign as a ninja of Konoha.

She wouldn't have to worry as much about becoming a missing-nin if she left all of the sudden. In other words she would eventually have rights similar to a sannin.

After that Sasuke had made arrangements for her, a safe house on the border of Hi no Kuni and Kaze no Kuni.

It was owned by the Uchiha, but had been recently built within the last fifty years so only he would know about it.

There was the chance Itachi knew of it but he also knew his brother wouldn't go there.

His worry about if he did was put to rest by Naruto who had said she had some seals that would make it so anyone passing by would not see the small house.

If they did happen to see passed the seal induced barriers there were other seals she could place that would warn her.

She would key him into the seals though, making it so they would not effect him, but it would require his blood.

That was easy enough to give before he had to leave again, with seals many things were possible. Storage seals could preserve things, like food and papers from decay. Even blood.

They could be gone before an enemy got the chance, and she would have Jiraiya with her.

"How long will you be able to stay, Sasuke-kun?" she asked as they sat together on the roof and gazed at the stars.

"Not nearly long enough. A day or two, maybe three. It'll take me at least three days to get back to Sound and I've already been gone nearly a month. If I know Orochimaru as well as I think I do, he'll have given me another week, a week and a half at the most."

Naruto sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder slowly.

"I thought so," she said. "It's okay, though. We'll see you again."

Sasuke nodded.

"I'll try to continue coming to you once a month, but I have to train as much as I can. I don't have the power to kill him yet, neither of them. I have to protect you, you, Kiyoshi and Nariko."

Naruto smiled, liking the fact he desired to protect anyone, considering a year or two ago she doubted the word protect was in his vocabulary with the way he commonly acted.

It made that much more special to her that he wished to protect her and the twins.

But she was no damsel, and she knew he knew that so she made no move to say anything about it.

"Let's go to bed," she muttered. "It's getting pretty late, now."

Sasuke blinked and nodded.

"I'll stay on the couch..."

Naruto snorted, hitting him over the head moderately hard.

"Stupid Teme," she said, shaking her head. "You'll be sleeping in my room with me."

"But.." he began only to be quieted by her slight glare and roll of her eyes.

"It's not like we haven't done more than sleep before, Sasuke," she said, and jumped off the roof, and landed slightly crouched on the ground.

Sasuke smiled slightly and shrugged, she was right.

With that thought in mind he jumped from the roof and landed next to her and the two entered the house.

* * *

Three days later Naruto had to blinked rapidly to hold back a tear or two from falling as she watched Sasuke's back as he left once again.

The pain she'd felt the first time she'd woken to know he was gone, after their fight at the Valley of the End was worse than what she felt now, but she felt twinges of pain to see him go.

She knew he would stay if she begged, pleaded and cried... but she knew he had to do this.

In a strange way, he had a job to complete. He had vowed just before he left, and when they'd met at Haku and Zabuza's grave, to kill Orochimaru and Itachi, then return and help her deal with the last threat to them.

Akatsuki.

She trusted him more than anyone, despite some of the mistakes in their past, and she had her own job to do.

She had to protect and care for their children and train. She had to train just as he did, to grow stronger so she wouldn't be helpless.

As she'd told him before, she was no damsel in distress, she could and would save herself when given the chance.

She also wasn't stupid, she knew sometimes she needed to be saved, because she was not invincible. But neither was he, she reminded herself.

"You know, this reminds me of when Kushina and Minato met up with Mikoto and Fugaku a month before you were born. Sasuke had already been born, and Kushina and Mikoto were talking about if you were a girl like Kushina believed," Jiraiya said out of nowhere as she saw Sasuke disappear from sight.

Kiyoshi and Nariko were both held to her chest, not an easy thing to do at first but she'd been practicing holding the twins at the same time. It was easier everyday.

Turning to her sensei she raised an eyebrow.

"How does this remind you of that?" she asked.

Jiraiya snickered.

"Well, lets just say Minato realized what having a daughter would Intel and nearly went ballistic. He never stopped glaring at baby Sasuke."

Naruto snorted and shook her head.

Jiraiya smirked.

"I wasn't finished," he said. "The whole time, according to your mother, baby Sasuke never stopped glaring at him."

Naruto burst into laughter, and Kiyoshi and Nariko blinked owlishly but paid no mind as they went back to playing with their mothers long, bright, loose hair.

"That's ridiculous, babies don't glare," she said, but smirked widely. "Though if anyone could, I wouldn't put it past Sasuke or an Uchiha in general to pull it off."

Jiraiya nodded.

"Probably," he said. "Come on brats, and brats brats... we should get back to the house. We'll only be here another month while Tazuna and his crew finish building the bridge."

Naruto nodded, and thanked whoever made the Kage Bunshin because without it Tazuna and his builders would have taken longer to finish the bridge connecting Nami to Uzu.


	10. Sand Castles

**AN: So another chapter. It's a little short, but hopefully you like it.**

* * *

**A Quiet Thunder Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 10: Sand Castles. **

It took longer than a month before they could leave, the reason being the seals she had to put up.

The last thing she needed was for it to be easy for the enemy to get to the slowly being rebuilt Uzu no Kuni.

After she'd finished sealing the bridge and showing Tazuna where they were – though she hadn't shown him much more than how to get his men across to start clearing the destruction and rebuild, that the seals would only kick in if they sensed ill intent.

When he's asked how they knew friend from foe, she'd tried her best to explain, but even to her the theory behind some seals confused her.

"You'll visit, won't you?" Tsunami asked as Jiraiya, Naruto and the twins said their goodbyes (well, the twins didn't say much, being only two and half months old).

Naruto smiled.

"Of course," she answered. "I don't know when, but we definitely will, Tsunami-kaachan."

It was a short exchange and kind of tearful for some of them, but soon they'd left Nami no Kuni behind and entered Hi no Kuni.

Not wanting to be noticed in Fire Country, Naruto and Jiraiya both wore a henge.

Jiraiya's was more obvious and made him look more like a normal civilian with short black hair and blue eyes. His red facial markings were gone as well, and of course his henge made it seem like his clothes were more fit for a civilian.

Naruto chose a disguise simple, and maybe a little older than her current age, around nineteen years old.

The henge made her hair black, though the same length but a mess of waves instead of the mostly pin straight locks. Her skin was now pale, and her eyes black, reminiscent of an Uchiha in coloring at least.

Of course her now usual garb of battle kimono – the black and orange-red one – was replaced with a regular, yet almost expensive looking, pale pink kimono with dark yellow obi and blue, darker pink and orange cherry blossoms on it.

It was actually a replica of one of her kimono's that she had brought back with her from Uzushio, unlike many of the Kimono's she'd brought along this one didn't have a spiral symbol.

The reason for the henge's was the twins.

Hopefully they were young enough no one would look at them and scream Uchiha for all to hear.

That would be the sort of rumor to end in disaster.

If anyone stopped to ask, Jiraiya was her father, and they were headed to meet her husband in Wind Country. Once out of Fire Country they could do away with the disguises.

The power of a simple henge, though she knew it was also easy enough for those skilled and trained to see through a henge if looking and dispel them.

Though, they were making a stop at the safe house Sasuke had left directions for.

They planned to stay there a few days and she'd begin placing the needed seals to keep people from seeing the home, and from getting in.

"This place is a hole," Ero-sennin said, as they stood back and stared at the safe house.

Naruto rolled her eyes, it wasn't that bad. It just needed a tiny bit of work, it was abandoned for over a decade after all.

It looked to be the size of a small home, probably no bigger than two or three bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and a bathroom.

It was nestled in a clearing in a vastly wooded area, close by was a small stream, that probably led to a river back in the direction of Wave Country, possibly one of the areas sea side countries.

"It's not that bad, Ero-sennin. You're just upset there is no one to peep on," she said, smirking. "Here hold the twins."

Naruto handed the two babies off to Jiraiya and headed for the front door of the cabin like home.

Sasuke had told her there was a defense on the place, but that she would be able to get past it with a bit of blood from the twins – something she didn't want to use, but it was the only way to ward her into the defense mechanism since it would only be lifted by an Uchiha.

Since she was not one, the next closest one was him or the twins.

Sasuke had spent a lot of time in the isolated Uchiha Compound exploring and reading.

He knew one way for someone not of Uchiha blood to get in was to use the child sired between said person and an Uchiha to sort of... encode them into the complicated seal the Namikaze clan had gifted them not long after Konoha had been built.

Not many realized the Uchiha had been allies with the Namikaze, mostly because they had similar enough ideals that they respected each other.

Personally, Naruto didn't know much about her father's clan, she was the last of the clan though, so there wasn't much to truly know.

Especially since before her, her father had been the last and many things had been lost in concern to the clan since they hadn't originated from Fire Country or Konoha.

While in Konoha they had never been as large as the Uchiha, or Hyuuga, but they had been just as respected because of their Fuuinjutsu and strong Shinobi.

Back to the point though, basically it would somehow take notice of the second DNA that came from her and make it so she wouldn't be rejected from any of the seals similar or this one.

As for Jiraiya, she could simply let him in once she got past it.

Taking a vial out of her hip pouch, Naruto walked up to the front door, careful to avoid some of the traps set up and disable them on her way.

There were only three, one was a seal trap, a basic one that she wouldn't be surprised if five out of ten jōnin knew, the other two were trip wire.

Once at the front door she poured the blood from the vial onto her hand and made sure it covered it from finger pads to the end of her palm.

It made her nose twitch, and the pit of her stomach feel sick because she knew this was her babies blood.

Even if it had been taken by needle, and hadn't really hurt them, she still felt disgusted at having their blood on her hand like that.

Shaking the thoughts from her head she placed her palm on a certain part of the door where she knew the seal would be, despite it not actually showing up on the wood.

Many seals that were advanced didn't without chakra flowing through it, much like the Shiki Fujin on her stomach.

She felt the the seal on the door warm up, and she forced her chakra into into her hand and the seal.

She didn't even flinch when she felt a small prick on her hand, knowing it had probably taken her blood as well to compare or join with the blood on her hand.

Sometimes she had the feeling seals had some form of sentience with how strangely they worked.

It took about three minutes before it finished glowing and the door clicked, unlocking.

Pulling her hand away she looked at it, and turned back to where Jiraiya stood with the twins. She smiled.

"It's down, you can bring the twins in now. I'm going to find the kitchen, and wash my hands."

Jiraiya nodded and followed Naruto inside.

That night Naruto finished taking down any seals she found, minus the one on the front door, and replacing them and the traps with different seals.

It was probably midnight before she sat down in the rocking chair in her room which she'd claimed.

The chair sat between the cribs Tsunami had helped her get in wave and she'd unsealed along with other things the twins would need.

She'd never been more happy for seals, otherwise it would be near impossible to live on the move with the twins. She'd probably buy another crib set in Wave Country and leave the ones she had at the safe house.

It would be the main place they'd stay, no longer just a safe home but a home away from Konoha.

Looking sharply to her left as she heard the beginning of whimpering from Nariko's crib, she sighed and stood just as the crying began.

This was usually the time of night they began to wake. They weren't quite at the age they slept through the night quietly, she gave it a few more weeks, or months before that.

But they did sleep longer than the first month they were born.

Reaching down, and pulling the raven haired baby from the crib, Naruto was happy to notice Kiyoshi still slept, and she sat back down in her rocking chair.

Slowly she began a slow pace of rocking Nariko back to sleep, humming softly and singing an old whirlpool lullaby under her breath to sooth her.

_''Hush-a-bye, little baby, mama's here so be calm. Under the blue moon, the whirlpool drags our emotions of pain away. So sleep in my arms, and know we're safe...''_

There was more to the lullaby, she'd found mention of it in Uzushiogakure, and she vaguely remembered it from when she was a baby.

Her mother must have sung it too her just after her birth... how she could even slightly recall it was a mystery but the moment she'd seen it it was like a puzzle clicking into place.

It was mostly just the tune she recalled, she doubted she'd have ever remembered even a sentence of the lyrics if she'd never found them in Uzushio.

Naruto smiled gently as Nariko yawned widely and her blue eyes closed in sleep. Kissing her forehead lightly, Naruto continued to hum and stood in such a way as to not jar Nariko.

"Sleep, Nari-chan," she said softly, and placed the baby back inside her crib and turned to go towards her own bed which wasn't far from the cribs and rocking chair.

* * *

Gaara stared at the girl in front of him in a stoic form of shock.

In his life he'd never really had friends, not until he'd gone to Konoha for the Chūnin Exams the year before, and it was during the invasion that he'd made his first friend.

It was rather strange, most didn't make friends by trying to kill them.

The two of them were very much alike. Both hated by the vast majority of their villages, hated for something they didn't have any control over. They both knew the darkness of loneliness.

Naruto had been lucky enough, she'd not let herself succumb to the darkness and pain. She'd striven to prove them wrong, that her existence wasn't to be the demon they claimed her to be.

He had been driven to insanity. He supposed he was lucky to have his siblings though, even if the last year had been the beginning of any sort of sibling relationship between them.

"Naru, are those babies who I think they are?" Gaara finally asked, his left brow raised.

Naruto chuckled and grinned.

"Depends on who you think they are?" she said more than asked.

Gaara sighed.

"You and Uchiha..." he trailed off and Naruto flushed slightly embarrassed as she nodded.

"They're my kids, and Sasuke's." Naruto had them on her lap as she sat in front of him, in the chair on the other side of his desk.

"The girl is Uchiha Nariko, and the boy is Uchiha Kiyoshi."

"Does that mean he came back on his own?" he asked, hoping it was the case.

Otherwise Gaara, the newly elected Kazekage of Suna, would have to question his best friends sanity.

Having a relationship with someone who by all means should already be listed as a missing-nin was not something a loyal shinobi did.

It was unheard of as far as he knew, and if it did happen it ended badly for all parties.

To actually have children with them...well as he'd said he'd never heard of it happening. Then there was the fact Uchiha had almost killed her.

He'd seen her after Hatake brought her back, blood still coming from some wounds and the evidence of a still healing Chidori wound to the chest.

It was obvious who'd inflicted the wounds.

If not for the regeneration that was ungodly for even most Jinchuuriki he knew she'd have died before Hatake even made it to the Valley of The End.

"No," she muttered, sadly. "I know what you must be thinking, Gaara. Sasuke will come back, he promised."

Gaara saw her wrap her right arm securely around both babies in her lap and reach up to a necklace that was around her neck, the necklace had the Uchiha fan on it.

"It's dangerous right now for both of us. Akatsuki is after the bijū, which means me as well. Sasuke is hunting after Itachi, and I think a large part of him is terrified Itachi will come back to finish what he started and this time it wont only be Sasuke, but the twins and myself as well."

Naruto shook her head, eyes meeting his own sea-foam colored ones.

"There is also Orochimaru. He's been after the Sharingan for a long time, and we are both concerned that he'll come after the twins for it. Not to mention if Sasuke did suddenly return with me, he'd come looking for him and find out about them."

Gaara listened carefully at the reasons and couldn't help but see her point.

Both were trying to protect the other and at the same time their children from their enemies.

He still didn't trust Uchiha, but he recalled how broken Naruto looked before he left for Suna after the failed retrieval mission.

"I see," he said. "And why are you here. Shouldn't you be somewhere were you can stay with the twins and train?"

Naruto grinned before nodding.

"I guess that would be the ideal option, but Ero-sennin thinks it's better we continue to move around some. In case Akatsuki come looking. There is also something I wanted to ask you."

"What would that be?" Gaara asked.

Biting her lip, Naruto figured she'd just say it bluntly. She'd never been too good at tact anyway.

"I wanted to see if you'd be Nariko's godfather. I was going to ask Kakashi to be Kiyoshi's. Sakura to be Kiyoshi's godmother and Hinata to be Nariko's godmother."

Gaara's eyes actually did widen this time in surprise, having not in a million years thought that was what she wanted.

A place to stay for a month or so, maybe, but that, no.

blinking, Gaara slowly smiled. It was foreign on him, he didn't recall the last time he'd showed emotion such as to smile.

"I would be happy to," he said, and Naruto smiled widely.

"Great, now do you know anywhere good to eat here? I'm starved," Naruto said, changing the subject so abruptly Gaara had to let out a quick chuckle.

Another rarity with him.

Standing up, Gaara nodded.

"I'll show you a place."

Naruto blinked, looking from Gaara to the stacks of papers on his desk.

"What about your paperwork."

Gaara looked behind him with stoic emotion, but what almost looked like a sneer.

"It can burn – I mean wait," Gaara said, coughing shortly. "I can finish it another time."

laughing, Naruto nodded and let Gaara escort her out of the Kazekage tower.


	11. Kiyoshi's First Words

**AN: Sorry it's been so long since the last update. **

**Anyway, it's rather short and is mostly a filler chapter. The next chapter will probably move on to the next arc and skip ahead the remaining time she's training with Jiraiya. **

**Lot's of surprises for then, one I wasn't too sure about until recently, but you'll have to wait till the next chapter of the one after it to find out what I mean. **

* * *

**A Quiet Thunder Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 11: Kiyoshi's First Words (Jiraiya Must Die).**

They spent more time in Suna then Naruto had thought they would.

It wasn't exactly a hot spot for traveling Konoha ninja. The alliance between the leaf and sand was still growing from it's shaky foundations after the chūnin exam the year before.

So she hardly had to worry about someone stumbling upon her, the twins, or Jiraiya. If one happened to be coming by Gaara warned her so she could stay inside and place a henge over herself in case she couldn't avoid being seen.

Sunagakure was also the leading village for wind chakra affinities, it was as common in Suna as fire was in Konoha.

Not surprisingly water was the least common, though it made Naruto wonder why wind was the least common in Konoha when there wasn't a lack of wind.

Maybe it was simply a coincidence that water was the rarest chakra one had in Suna, a desert were water was scarce.

The water Suna drank actually came from an underground well the ran miles and miles to find the large source of water used long before Gaara or his generation was even a thought in their great grandparents mind.

The point was, this allowed her to focus a bit more on her chakra nature. While Wind was her dominant affinity she also had minor affinities for water and new a couple fire ninjutsu's as well.

The fire jutsu's she knew were passed to her by Sasuke, though hers weren't as powerful since she had such a minor affinity for them and that was through hard work and effort.

The affinities she'd been born with were wind and water.

Gaara had allowed them to stay in a small home fit for a family of about four not far from his own family estate – which wasn't overly large or fancy but was one of the largest properties in terms of Sunagakure.

She had been in Suna for about six months now, and the twins had gotten bigger in this time and were now seven months old.

They'd begun to crawl all over the place a while ago, and learning words, or trying too anyways. They were both looking more and more like her and Sasuke each day.

Speaking of Sasuke, she regretfully hadn't seen him but once in the last seven months and that was when she'd met him outside Suna.

She knew Gaara couldn't allow Sasuke inside the village, and that he didn't trust him enough if he could allow it.

So, she'd gone to the village closest to Suna which was about twenty or so miles away – that was simply an estimate, it might have been a little more or less.

She herself had changed much, though her hair had grown longer but she'd decided to trim it a bit from where it nearly reached her ankles to where her calf's like it had been a year ago.

Many had asked why she kept her hair so long in the past, one such person having been Sakura who had an encounter with her hair being used against her by enemy ninja. Her answer was simple, she just liked her hair long, it made the resemblance to her mother more pronounced since the longer her hair got the more tame it became.

For her it was a connection to the mother she'd never known, from pictures her mother had kept her red hair at a similar length up until she died.

Despite having stayed in Suna as she had for so long, despite Ero-sennin's occasional whining, she still trained regularly. She had to continue to get stronger, to protect her family.

When she couldn't be with the twins, Temari had taken a liking to them and volunteered to watch them as long as she wasn't on a mission or busy.

Thankfully, she'd worked a way to train and keep an eye on the twins at the same time – she'd never been so happy she'd learned the shadow clone before now.

Usually the shadow clones trained while she trained on something none physical, like fūinjutsu, and made sure Nariko and Kiyoshi didn't get into trouble.

It wasn't easy at first, balancing the twins with training, but she'd gotten the hang of it since they were born in December.

"Naruto, you okay?" Temari asked, raising an eyebrow at the younger blonde.

Temari was one who'd taken the most interest in helping her hone her wind affinity, being a wind mistress herself.

She'd even gifted her with two bladed hand fan's which weren't really her style at first... but than she'd never used an weapon besides her mother's katana's – and that was still a work in progress – and kunai or shuriken.

Over the months Temari had taught her everything she knew of using a fan in battle, and Naruto would admit it made learning her wind affinity that much easier.

She was also learning she could channel her water affinity through it... though it was a lot harder to do. Especially in Suna.

Even then there were some Suiton techniques that didn't need large amounts of water to be nearby.

The moisture naturally around a person usually helped most water jutsu's, but it was easier when there was water nearby.

Since there wasn't a lot of water in Suna she didn't really do much with her second affinity.

It didn't mater to her though, her mother's main affinity had been water so she had an abundance of scrolls in Konoha hidden away that had come from her mother.

Some her mother had brought from Uzushio, others were creations of hers and others were just jutsu scrolls from Konoha. Her mother was a bit of a pack rat it seemed.

"Sorry, I got lot in thought," Naruto said, smiling. "What did you ask?"

"I asked you planned to take Nariko and Kiyoshi with you tomorrow to meet with Uchiha?"

Naruto was bothered by the fact Temari didn't use an all that nice tone when she said 'Uchiha', she knew Temari, like Gaara wasn't very fond of Sasuke. They both still held a grudge of sorts because of how much he'd hurt her in the past.

Naruto smiled lightly at her friend.

"I'm thinking of taking them with us," she said, knowing it was Temari who Gaara usually had escort her to the village she met Sasuke in. "Sasuke hasn't seen the twins in months."

Temari nodded, deciding to remain silent.

She saw how much Naruto seemed to love the dark haired avenger, and though she didn't completely approve she knew it was a lost cause to argue.

Not only did the Uchiha and Naruto have children together, but she could see Naruto's love was true.

It had to be to forgive him for everything he'd done.

"Alright, I'll be ready to go around ten, if that's alright," Temari said and Naruto nodded.

"It's fine. By the way, is Kankurō watching the twins currently..." Naruto trailed off and Temari chuckled.

"As far as I know he and a genin team are watching them," Temari said, closing her fan. "Come on, we'll head back now. You've come pretty far with that wind jutsu though.

Naruto said, "Thank you, I know I wouldn't have gotten this good using my fan's if not for you."

Temari nodded, watching as Naruto tucked the two hand fans into her dark blue sash The battle-like kimono she wore was very similar to the one Temari had begun to ware, but hers was a bit different.

Temari's was dark purple, which had a red sash, and she wore a pair of dark red fingerless gloves, similar in color to her sash. The similarities between kimono's was almost shocking at first glance.

The two girls walked comfortably towards the Sabaku home, talking about whatever came up along the way. Naruto found she enjoyed Suna, the heat wasn't all that bad.

She'd never had that much of a problem with heat waves, and a few had hit Konoha even though the place usually had pretty mild weather compared to other places.

The only really bad weather Suna truly had were wind storms, and the occasional really intense heat wave.

The best thing about Suna for her was the lack of glares turned on her – which while not as bad as when she was younger were still there in Konoha.

She had learned to live with it, but it was nice to go somewhere and not have to deal with it.

"We're home!" Temari called out once they entered, taking off their shoes and slipping on slippers for inside the home.

Naruto and Temari entered into the living area to find Kankurō in a corner, crouched almost in a fatal position with one of his puppets as a shield, while the genin team was long gone leaving Kankurō and Jiraiya with the rest of the job.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the older boy in the corner who was muttering to himself about something or other.

"Kankurō, what are you doing?" Temari asked, and moments later Jiraiya entered with the twins and two women about mid twenties attached to his side.

Naruto and Temari both blinked and slowly narrowed their eyes at the older white haired man.

Kankurō chuckled bitterly in his corner, and said, "That's why I'm never babysitting again. It'll only get me in trouble."

Naruto almost didn't understand what he meant, but soon realized the boy must have lost the twins to Jiraiya, who'd disappeared with them somewhere.

"Shit," Jiraiya said, seeing the two girls home.

Kiyoshi giggled and echoed, "Shit."

Even though it was a bit mispronounced for, seeing as Kiyoshi was only seven months old, he still got the word out recognizable.

Naruto's eyes nearly glowed with her maternal rage.

Jiraiya gulped at the aura that surrounded his goddaughter, and the fact her long hair was standing up like nine-tails (much as he remembered Kushina's doing) told him he was in trouble.

"Ero-sennin!" Naruto nearly growled out. "Run."

Jiraiya chuckled nervously, placed one of the twins in either woman's arms beside him, and turned tail, running back to the door.

Temari sweat-dropped as Naruto ran after the toad sannin before she walked over to the confused girls and took the twins from them.

"You can go now," Temari said. "I'm sorry about Jiraiya-sama."

The two woman didn't say anything but left anyways. Turning around Temari saw that her brother had emerged from his corner, his puppet back on his back.

"Why were you in the corner, again?" she asked.

Kankurō blanched.

"Between Naurto's demonic spawn, and the three devils someone called genin... I'm never babysitting again."

Kankurō walked off, shuddering slightly and Temari blinked, frowning at her brother and wondering if he'd taken one too many knocks to the head.

"Wonder if Naru plans to leave Jiraiya alive?" she wondered, leaving the room with the twins.

It was doubtful she decided, that was Kiyoshi's first word after all.


	12. Awkward returns, Thy name is Uzumaki N

**Return to Konoha Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 12: Awkward returns, Thy name is Uzumaki _Naru_to!**

_Sasuke was half amused, half annoyed by the story his girlfriend told of their son's first word. _

_He should have expected it, Kiyoshi being Naruto's child was bound to be just as unpredictable; Uchiha or not. Naruto herself sat beside him on the arm of the chair he sat in – the hotel room being rather small as to not draw unwanted attention. _

_Her long blonde-red highlighted hair falling naturally down her back, and she wore the battle kimono she'd taken to wearing recently. Though of course she had multiple copies of it, ninja usually did since they usually chose one outfit and stuck with it for years at a time._

"_Did you catch him?" he found himself asking as he smirked. _

_Naruto cackled momentarily (a frightening sound, though he hid it well). He got the feeling whatever she'd done to her mentor wasn't good; for him at least. _

"_You bet I did," she answered. "Lets just say he'll have no use for perving for a while. At least not until he can walk again." _

_Sasuke smirked widely. _

"_Good." _

_Naruto smiled at the raven haired boy and moved from the arm of the chair into his lap, leaned up and pressed her lips over his. The kiss was short, but intense. _

_Pulling back, she released a breath. _

"_I've missed you, teme," she muttered, and Sasuke brushed a strand of her sunshine hair behind her ear. _

"_It'll only be a year or two, maybe three before I can safely kill him and leave. Right now I don't stand a chance against a sannin, much less Itachi."_

"_I know," she said under her breath, looking towards where the twins lay asleep on the large bed a few feet away. "It's just, years ago when I pictured having a family. Hiding and so many secrets wasn't what I imagined."_

_He sighed at her words, and buried his face in her bright hair, breathing in the scent of rain and pomegranates. He wished he could give her the safety she craved but right now they could only be thankful for what they had. Not to mention they were Shinobi, safety sometimes didn't factor in, even for those who made it far enough to start families. _

_He remembered his own mother had been a retired jōnin, because she'd not wanted to take the chance of dying on a mission. His father ran the Police force, but he was still a Shinobi and took missions the Hokage assigned so there was always the chance he might not come home one day. He supposed his mother hadn't wanted to chance orphaning him and Itachi young. _

_Mentally he scoffed, in the end he'd been left alone anyways. _

_Well, alone except for Naru, he thought after a moment. No matter how much he'd withdrawn himself from her, she'd always tried to reclaim her best friend. She hadn't truly succeeded until they were put on a genin team together, and then the chūnin exams happened and... the Valley of the End. _

_He sighed, tracing his hand over the area he knew the only scare on her body laid. Not very far from her heart, the size of a fist. His fist, he closed his eyes, leaning his chin on the top of Naruto head, and shaking the memory from his mind. It was one of his greatest regrets. _

"_One day we won't have to hide," he said. "I can't promise that nothing will go wrong once we've dealt with Orochimaru and the Akatsuki – we're ninja after all – but I do promise I won't let anything happen to you or the twins." _

_Naruto smiled, leaning into his embrace. _

"_I'll do the same, I won't let anything happen to any of my precious people," she said, and Sasuke chuckled. _

_He knew Naruto wouldn't have allowed anyone to protect her as if she was made of blown glass, and he was much the same. Both took pride in being able to protect themselves, though both were beginning to realize sometimes everyone needed help and protection (they would protect each other). _

_Right now, though, the ones who needed the most protection were their children. _

**2 ½ YEARS LATER:**

"Ero-sennin!" Naruto shouted, hands on her hips. "Stop peaking and let's go already. We're only hours from Konoha."

The white haired older man sighed, turning to look at his apprentice.

"Don't you have brats to get ready?"

Naruto smirked, shaking her head.

"Already finished. Really, you'd think you realize by now I can multitask."

Jiraiya blinked, and frowned.

"You left a few shadow clones didn't you?" he deadpanned and her face fell.

"Maybe," she said slowly, and then rolled her eyes. "If you'd come back to the hotel on time I wouldn't have had too. Now, come on already, I want to get home."

Jiraiya stood, closing his notepad and walking over to his student.

"You think you'd want to avoid this as long as possible," he said. "What with the heart attacks you're bound to give everyone."

Naruto laughed nervously, hand rubbing the back of her head.

"Yeah, well, the sooner I get this over with the better," she told him, and the two made their way back to the hotel.

Jiraiya could understand that, after all, it wasn't everyday you went away for three years and came back with children. He actually looked forward to the shock of the council and Naruto's friends. Especially the one with pink hair, it was bound to be amusing if she was as much like Tsunade as Jiraiya thought she was.

On the other hand it would probably be one of the most awkward explanations Naruto gave since he recalled the other teammate, Sakura, had a massive crush on the Uchiha boy.

Once back at the hotel room Naruto shared with the children, Jiraiya having his own room down the hall, two toddlers made their way at a run to their mother, colliding with her legs.

Both were small, but one was obviously a boy with a hair style that reminded Jiraiya of a mix of Minato's and Sasuke's. Or what Naruto's hair had resembled if she would cut her hair that short, not that she had since she was Kiyoshi's and Nariko's age.

It was raven black, and the little boy looked pretty much like a little mirror image of his father except for the whisker marks on his cheeks.

The girl beside him had the same coloring, besides for the violet-blue eyes which she'd inherited as a mix of her maternal grandmother and mother's eyes.

Her hair while as dark, was a bit bluer tinted, for some odd reason, and spikier at the sides, and tamer as it got longer.

It was barely at her shoulders currently. She did have the pale skin, and common features of a Uchiha even if her face was a bit rounder and she had the same whiskers as her brother and mother.

Both wore dark navy blue shirts with the Uchiha fan on the back – though much smaller then usual, at the collar of the shirt.

This way it didn't instantly tell everyone the two were Uchiha's, but they still got to wear their clan symbol – the fact their was a Uzumaki spiral on the front of the shirt sort of made people over look the much smaller and higher placed clan symbol on the back of the shirt.

Kiyoshi wore longer gray shorts, and Nariko wore darker gray capries. Both were toddler sized shinobi sandals, though neither had really begun training yet.

They watched Naruto train almost like hawks and were rather intelligent for their age, but she wanted to wait at least another year before she began to teach them anything. Sasuke had agreed with her, he'd seen what could happen if children where pushed to train too hard too young. Itachi was one of those prime examples.

"Mama, Menma stinks," Nariko told her, wrinkling her nose and Naruto blinked.

They both had very good pronunciation at their age, and could form rather good sentences, both complex (though not overly so) and simple, but they were still just two and half years old, their words weren't completely clear yet. She had become a bit of an expert translating what they meant though when they tried to speak bigger words.

The ones Nariko had said weren't that horribly mangled, they were rather clear, but it was the innocents behind her words that had startled her.

Leave it to her daughter to state such a honest fact so bluntly. Kiyoshi was simply nodding in agreement to his twins words.

Jiraiya laughed.

"I guess your clones refused diaper duty," he said, and then smirked. "That's what you get for not being more careful. You'd think after the first time you'd practice safer sex."

Naruto burned red with embarrassment, and grumbled under her breath.

"Whatever, Ero-sennin," she finally said, and gently pulled the twins from her legs. "I'll go change Menma, and then we'll be heading home. You two ready to leave?"

Kiyoshi and Nariko nodded, smiling and moving over to Jiraiya, who they had practically taken as their grandfather. They loved to try and climb up his long white hair, which wasn't exactly fun for him. Naruto thought it was the most amusing thing she'd seen in years.

Reaching the room where the crib was set up for her youngest son, Naruto laughed at her clones. One held Menma as if he was a disease, away from her at arms length, and another had a pair of tongs while the other had the fresh diaper.

"Boss!" the free fourth clone exclaimed, eyes bright. "Thank gods, please, please take care of this!"

Naruto sighed, rolling her eyes.

"You do realize you're me?" she asked and the clones blinked and nodded.

"So?" they chorused.

"So..." Naruto began. "Anything I do you'll inadvertently be doing... oh never mind."

Naruto took her son from the first clone and winced at the horrid smell coming from the babies soiled diaper. Why had she had another so soon again?

Oh, yeah, she went into heat (which wasn't exactly uncommon, she was sort of like a cat that way. Or fox, whatever you preferred) last year and she and Sasuke had gotten careless. She supposed that teacher she had in the academy for sex-ed hadn't been exaggerating or overly dramatic when she'd said it only took once.

She still loved her youngest son, even if he hadn't been planed (though, neither had the twins). Sasuke had actually been there for part of the pregnancy, at least when he could be. There had been times they'd gone months without seeing one another because Orochimaru was either suspicious of where Sasuke went when he left Sound, or Sasuke was busy training with the snake sannin.

When she'd told him she was pregnant last November (apparently Kyuubi was all to happy to bitch about her being careless, again! He did hate sharing after all), well, she didn't think she'd seen him so happy, after he'd gotten over his surprise, not for a long time at least.

He'd been more shocked when she'd explained the twins to him when he'd found her in wave, and happy afterward, but by the time she was expecting Menma she supposed he'd become more comfortable in the roll of being a father. She'd honestly been shocked by the show of emotion when she'd told him, but she'd been happy nonetheless.

Menma himself was what she imagined she'd look like if she had been a boy, and she had a feeling he'd hold a resemblance to her father when he was older, but with her rounder face, and some of Sasuke's features of course.

He already had the raven black hair and was a bit tanner than was the norm for a Uchiha. His eyes, on the other hand, were the same blue as hers. Very unlike Nari's light violet-blue ones. He, unlike the twins, had not inherited the whisker marks.

"You are even smellier then your older siblings were at this age," she muttered.

She placed the fresh diaper on him – having tossed the dirty one when she'd been lost in thought. Of course, Menma was too young to do more then make baby sounds. He had been born on April 20th, and it was now late May, so he was only a month a few days old.

Picking up Menma, Naruto held him securely and left the room, knowing she had everything sealed away in one of the four hip pouches she wore at her waist. It was easier then using a baby bag or lugging things around while they traveled around.

"Time to go home," Naruto muttered to herself, and smiled as she left the room.

* * *

Three and a half years. Sakura had a hard time believing it had really been that long, back then she'd been young and rather naive, a genin of barely a year when Sasuke had left, a traitor to the village, and Naruto had gone to train with Jiraiya on a three year training trip.

She was what remained of team seven in Konoha, besides for Kakashi-sensei at least. She herself hadn't changed much in the years since then. She was older now, eighteen years old, but she still looked herself. She'd kept her hair short after the Chūnin Exams, but it was still pink.

She supposed she had grown more womanly, but to her great annoyance she still lacked in the bust area, unlike Ino and Hinata. She was only thankful she was near as flat as she'd been as a genin. Another thing that had changed was she was a jōnin, had been for half a year now.

She'd hung up her old dress for a red sleeveless top. Black boots, black shorts, short pink apron skirt, and pink elbow protectors. Her hita-ate was in place in her hair, though the cloth had been replaced with a red cloth. She wondered how Naruto had changed over the years, and... Sasuke as well.

She sighed as she thought of her former teammate. Even to this day she had conflicting emotions in concern to Sasuke. Part of her blamed him for taring Team Seven apart when he left, another part of her still held hope he'd come back. That she and Naruto would bring him back.

She sighed, and moved to the side as a group of genin nearly ran into her.

"Konohamaru!" Sakura called, and the trio stopped to look back at her.

"Oh, sorry Sakura, didn't see you there," the boy said, rubbing the back of his head in a way that reminded her of Naruto.

She wasn't surprised, Konohamaru reminded her a little of her friend, just male. He'd been a genin for about a year now, and was no twelve (thirteen in December).

"Why are running anyway?" she asked.

Moegi answered, "We're trying to capture Tora."

Sakura flinched at the reminder of the cat, the bane of all D-rank missions and Genin.

"Right, good luck," she said, waving as the threw ran off and heading back in the direction she'd been walking.

For the last week she'd been checking the front gate for any news on if Kotetsu or his partner had seen Naruto and Jiraiya returning yet. Being the apprentice of Tsunade she was usually told when Jiraiya sent in a report about how training was going with Naruto. The last one her Shishou received was about their return in a week or two.

Sakura was only feet away from the entrance when she noticed figures coming from the distance. One was smaller, one much taller and there seemed to be two more much smaller figures walking on either side of what Sakura realized was female the closer it got.

At first she wasn't sure it was Naruto, but as she got to the front gate, and the figures got closer she realized with a smile it was. The orange (even if it was a darker orange) the figure was wearing and bright blonde hair giving her away.

"Sakura?" Naruto said, almost as if asking once she was within feet of the entrance.

Sakura smiled in greeting, noticing her friend had grown, maybe more than she had in the last few years. She looked older, obviously, and her blonde hair was longer, brushing centimeters past her calfs.

Instead of being down as she more commonly wore it when they were genin it was in a tight braid down her back, but she still had bangs framing her face, one side pulled back with two black hair-clips. Her face had lost baby fat, and was a little sharper.

She didn't wear quite as much orange as she once did, much to Sakura's surprise. She wore a dark blue, sleeveless, high-collar top that stopped a few inches below her breast, about the area of her ribcage. To Sakura's envy Naruto bust size was larger then hers, a large C-cup she estimated.

She also had black mesh armor, with elbow length sleeves, under the top which stopped just above her belly button, leaving a part of her midriff completely bare. The only orange she wore, besides a pair of dark orange fingerless gloves, was the open-front apron-skirt with slits up the sides as well.

It was dark orange, like her gloves, and under the skirt were short black shorts. She wore black shinobi boots, like the ones Sakura herself wore, but Naruto's were shin high, instead of knee high.

"Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, smiling, but that smile turned to a confused frown when she noticed the movement behind her.

Two small figures behind her legs, hiding like shy or scared children, and she noticed a baby sling (she'd seen her fair share of them, but the dark blue color of it blended in well with her crop top. Eyes wide, Sakura realized there was a baby that greatly resembled her friend in the sling, though at the angle she'd been before she hadn't noticed. The biggest differences being the black hair on the babies head, and barely paler skin.

"Na-Naruto-chan... are they – " Sakura couldn't even get the full question out and Naruto chuckled.

"Um, yeah. These are my kids, Sakura," Naruto said.

"Kids?" Sakura echoed, "You've only been gone three and half years Naru! Who..."

Sakura stopped short when the two toddlers stepped further out from behind her legs and she got a closer look at them. Pale skin, raven hair (though the little girls had a obvious blue tint the other did not), whisker marks. The boy had black eyes, so black it made the pupil seem as if it didn't exist, and the girl had light violet colored eyes.

It was the boy that made her realize exactly who the father had to be. While the girl looked like her brother, she also looked like her mother as her features were a little rounder compared to her twin. The boy on the other hand looked like a mirror image of his father. He even had a duck-butt hair style, even if his hair was spikier overall, and Sakura's jaw dropped momentarily.

"Sasuke..." she gasped out and Naruto flushed slightly and looked down as she sighed.

"We should see Tsunade-baachan, I really don't want to have to explain this a thousand times," Naruto said, and Sakura had a a thousand and one questions to throw at her friend but nodded.

She realized the sunset haired girl was right.

"Fine," Sakura said, "Come on."

Naruto gave a smile in greeting to the chūnin watching the gate, both having stayed silent and where looking as surprised as Sakura. If it was the fact she'd returned with three children, or the fact they'd caught on to the fact Sasuke was the children's father, she wasn't sure.

* * *

"Can you run that by me again, Naruto, I think I misheard you," Tsunade said dryly.

Naruto smiled, and shook her head. If reminded her a little of when she was pregnant with Kiyoshi and Nariko and had first told Ero-sennin the news. When she'd told him she was pregnant with Menma, well, he'd almost seemed unsurprised if the eye rolling, and sighing he'd done meant anything. She remembered he'd nearly glared a hole in Sasuke's skull the next time he'd seen him, and pretty much beat the knowledge of how to keep the seal in check during the birth.

Sakura was standing beside Tsunade, and looking at the three young children, and being the curious kids they were, Kiyoshi and Nariko had no problem staring back at her. Sometimes Kiyoshi or Nariko would venture over to circle around her as if she were some alien specimen.

It was adorable, but also sort of annoying for the pink haired young woman.

"I think you heard her the first time, Lady Hokage," a familiar voice said from the window.

Naruto smiled as she turned to see her sensei jump from the window ledge into the room. He hadn't changed at all, she realized, and she saw him stop short upon seeing the the baby held to her chest in the baby sling.

She saw his lone eye go back towards the twins who had turned to stare at the new comer, tilting their head at the odd coloring (yet familiar as Ero-sennin and Kakashi-sensei had similar hair colors). He then turned back to her and Menma.

"Meh, Naruto-chan, I'm pretty sure twins only come in two's and they age at the same rate," Kakashi said, and Naruto nodded.

"Yes, this is my youngest son," she explained. "He was born last month."

Kakashi seemed to smirk under his mask.

"My, my, you and Sasuke have been busy," he said and she flushed red.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura shouted. "You knew about this?"

"Well," Kakashi began, scratching the side of his head nervously. "You remember that mission to Wave nearly three years ago?"

Sakura nodded slowly.

"Yes, you went to see Tzuna's family... you don't mean..."

"Naruto was there, along with Jiraiya, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone until she was ready. With her enemies I felt it was a good idea, for her safety and the twins as well. Congratulations, by the way. I take it Sasuke now knows he's a father?"

Naruto nodded.

"Yes. We've been in contact since about a month after Kiyo and Nari were born," Naruto said, motioning to the twins who smiled lightly at the attention that fell on them. "Last year I got pregnant with Menma, and like I said I had him last month."

"Yet the Uchiha boy still remains gone?" Tsunade scoffed, shaking her head.

Naruto frowned.

"It's not like that, Baa-chan," she began. "We talked about that, he wants to return, but it's not safe right now. He can't just leave sound without Orochimaru coming after him, and he wasn't strong enough then to kill him. We didn't want him finding out about the kids, you know how obsessed he is with the Sharingan."

Tsunade frowned but nodded, she did understand. It made more sense, and made her grow some respect for the Uchiha boy, though she was by no means fond of him after what he'd done to Naruto at the Valley of the End. She'd had to heal the remainder of the wound after all, and she could tell how fatal it would have been had Naruto not been an Uzumaki or a Jinchūriki.

Sakura, while still having mixed feelings over the fact her two teammates were together and had children, had caught onto the fact Sasuke had plans to come home.

"Wasn't, does that mean he's going to return to konoha?" Sakura asked, and Naruto smiled.

"Daddy is coming home soon, Mama?" Kiyoshi asked, eyes bright at the idea.

"I don't know exactly when, but the last time we talked he was confident he could take care of Orochimaru. It's almost time for Orochimaru to switch bodies, so he hasn't much choice anymore."

She said this last part knowing the twins wouldn't really understand what she meant. They knew their father was away training, and that he teacher was dangerous but that was about it.

"It's been nearly three years," Sakura said under her breath.

"Naruto, you do realize I will have to tell the council this eventually. I can try and keep your kids father secret until then, but eventually it'll come out," Tsunade said. "Especially seeing as they resemble their father so much."

Naruto nodded.

"I know, I've known for a while. I also really don't trust the council, though I do trust the Shinobi Council more then the elders and civilians. But, I do have some tricks up my sleeves..."

"You don't have sleeves," Sakura said and Naruto shrugged.

"The point is I've learned of my heritage while I was gone. You've probably gotten some sort of idea of the construction on Uzu no Kuni?"

Tsunade nodded.

"Kind of hard to hide the large bridge connecting Nami no Kuni to Uzu no Kuni," she said, and then her eyes widened. "You."

"I've set it up. I've talked to the Fire Daimyo, and I'm seventeen, and ninja are considered adults so I'm of age. I'm basically the Daimyo of Uzu no Kuni," Naruto said and reached into one of her hip pouches and pulled out a storage scroll, unsealed it and handed the content to Tsunade.

Tsunade looked through it. Alliances between Uzu no Kuni and the land of Waves, and the Fire Daimyo had acknowledged Naruto as the Uzumaki-Namikaze heiress, and Whirlpool Daimyo. She even had a passport which gave her the rights of a sannin (over all this did explain the whirlpool forehead protector around her neck).

There was also a small slip, a license, and certificate. On it was a few signatures. Most notable being Uchiha Sasuke and Uchiha Naruto. A marriage certificate.

"You're married?" she asked.

Sakura and Kakashi's eyes widened, and there heads snapped over to Naruto.

Naruto chuckled and nodded, pulling a chain from under her top. A silver necklace, delicate looking with a Uchiha fan and rings on it. One was an engagement ring, with black and white diamonds, though not overly flashy. The other was the wedding ring, a band which matched the other ring with black and white diamonds. Both bands were white gold.

"It was a small ceremony, kept very quiet and private. We don't wear the rings in plain sight as you can see," Naruto said, smiling fondly. "Sasuke sort of insisted after I became pregnant with Menma... after a few months I finally agreed."

"I see," Tsunade said. "I want to make copies of some of these things, I'll get you the original copies back in a day or two if that's alright."

"It's fine."

"Menma," Kakashi asked, suddenly. "That's his name?"

Naruto looked at the baby she held and nodded.

"Yes," she began, hitting herself mentally for not introducing them properly earlier. "This is Uchiha Kiyoshi, and his twin sister, Uchiha Nariko. This here, is Uchiha Menma..."

"I bet it took some convincing to get Sasuke to allow that name. It's a ramen topping isn't it?" Kakashi-sensei asked, laughing.

Naruto blew out a breath of annoyance, rolling her eyes.

"Don't start on that, it's a good name. Actually, Sasuke didn't put up much of a fight. I think he was more awed that he had another son to be honest. Doesn't matter, I'm the one who had to push him out so I'll name him whatever I want."

"Mama," Nariko spoke up, "Can we get ramen?"

There were some chuckles at this, and Sakura smiled.

"later, Nari-chan," Naruto told two and half year old.

"Anyways, give me about a week before you break it to the council. I'll be prepared by then, right now I want to get settled in. Ero-sennin said my parents home is still sealed so he'll show me there. The apartment I lived in is too old and run down, not to mention small."

"Alright," Tsunade said. "Tomorrow I want to see you though, to test your skills after being gone so long. The same goes for you Sakura. Also, about your parents identities..."

"That can be revealed to the council and village at the same time. I'm seventeen, eighteen in October. I can handle myself, and it'll come out sooner or later."

Tsunade nodded, and Naruto gave a wave to everyone and left the room, making sure the twins were walking with her. She had always kept a close eye on them, she would admit she was a tiny bit paranoid when they traveled over the years, but with enemies like the Akatsuki after her she had a right to be.

"Jiraiya," Tsunade said before her teammate left.

"Yeah, Hime?" he asked, cringing at the glare the blonde shot him.

"You really need to pay closer attention to your students," she said. "If I find any sort of reference to Naruto and that Uchiha boy in your books... you'll loose something important."

Jiraiya grimaced, but then snickered.

"Is that an admission that you read my books, Hime?" he asked, smirking and Tsunade grabbed the paperweight on her desk and chucked it at his head.

He ducked out the door, closing it and he heard the weight hit the door with a loud crash. Snickering to himself he walked after his apprentice and led her to the once abandoned Namikaze compound – which compared to other clan compounds wasn't quite as large, but it wasn't small either.

* * *

**AN: Sakura didn't really have much of a reaction this chapter, but she'll get more of a reaction once it's sunk in. Anyways, the next chapter will be out as soon as I can finish it.**


	13. Sakura's Gaiden

**AN: ****So****, here is the next chapter. Hopefully you all enjoy it, Sakura reaction may be a bit surprising for some. Also I apologize for any grammar, spelling and typo mistakes. I've read it through once but I'm heading to bed, so I will have to go back over it again once I wake up tonight for any mistakes I missed.**

* * *

**Return to Konoha Arc.**

**Eternal Spiral. **

**Chapter 13: Sakura's ****Gaiden****. **

"Sakura,how was your day?"

Mebuki watched as her daughter bypassed the kitchen, and her, completely. She barely heard the parting words of her daughter as she did so. Heading up to her room, she assumed.

Mebuki sighed, shaking her head as she returned to the kitchen, still stirring the batter in the bowl as she did. She'd never wanted her daughter to be a shinobi. She knew what it entailed, her grandfather and father had both been shinobi.

They had both died in service to Konoha, her father when Mebuki was only six. Her father had been the last in her family to get involved in the ninja lifestyle. It was because of her father Mebuki had quite going to the academy as a girl, she just couldn't handle the reality of being a shinobi.

She had assumed her daughter would do the same, but years passed and before Mebuki knew it her daughter was a genin. Far too late to pull Sakura from the Academy, far too late to stop her daughter from getting in over her head. Her worse fear was one day getting word that her daughter hadn't come back from a mission alive... or she came back broken.

Her mother used to say, fixing things was easy, but once broken you couldn't completely fix a person. Heal, maybe, but they'd never be the same either way.

Her sweet Kizashi's side of the family was purely civilian. The only sway the Haruno name held was on the civilian council and that seat was held by her mother-in-law (or monster-in-law as she'd called her in her youth, when she'd first married Kizashi).

It bewildered her that such a kind, thoughtful man could be related to such a... a banshee. Ayane Haruno, Kizashi's mother, was well into her years now and a widow. She was also something of a tyrant, Mebuki tried to keep as far away from the pink haired woman as she could.

Over the years she'd tried to limit her contact with Sakura was well, she really hadn't wanted to see her daughter turn out like Ayane, gods forbid, the world could only handle one Haruno banshee at a time.

While Sakura had inherited the pink hair, it was lighter, an influence of her blonde hair, and while she could be rather loud at times when angry she wasn't anything near Ayane – something Mebuki took as a mission accomplished.

_Actually,_ Mebuki thought, looking up from pouring the batter into the cake pan. Sakura hadn't been on good terms with her grandmother since a conversation not long after she'd become a genin four or so years ago.

Mebuki couldn't be sure what it was about now, but she'd heard a few things. Like Sakura's teammates names being thrown round. Whatever it was hadn't been kind, at least in concern for the Uzumaki girl.

Mebuki sighed, she would admit, at first she was like the others in concern to the girl. As the years passed though she'd begun to see beyond the demon the girl had sealed inside her.

This was with help form her husband and daughter, though she didn't know if they realized. She'd never openly discriminated against the girl. Her husband, well, he was too kind to ever think of a little girl the same age as their own daughter as a demon reincarnated.

He held faith in the Yondaime's word, and was happy when their daughter had befriended – if only tentatively before they became genin – the blonde jinchūriki.

Mebuki placed the cake into the oven, and stood up straight with a thoughtful look on her face. She wasn't sure what was wrong with Sakura, but she was sure whatever it was she'd find a solution. She may have feared, and still feared her daughters chosen profession, but she was also proud of her.

She'd taken notice, no matter how it seemed, of Sakura's progress as Lady Tsunade's tutelage. She could at least rest better at night knowing she could handle herself as a accomplished kunoichi, and she was eighteen... an adult even by age now.

"Sakura!" Mebuki yelled up the stairs once she reached them, "I'm heading down to the bakery to help your father with the customers. I've put a cake in the oven if you'll check on it in a few minutes."

Mebuki heard the reply of acknowledgment from Sakura and turned to leave, looking back only once in concern before heading out.

* * *

"_Ino, who is that?" _

_The blonde beside her looked at her in surprise, tilting her head slightly in confusion. _

"_Who's who?" Ino asked. _

_Sakura pointed ahead of her, towards a large tree which had a single swing tied to it. It was a homemade swing, of old rope and a wooden plank to sit on – it had probably been made years ago it seemed so old. _

_Sakura was surprised it hadn't broken, even under the girl who sat on it's weight. It wasn't that the girl sitting on it was heavy, Sakura doubted the girl weighed eighty pounds, and if she did it would be a surprise. _

_Behind the girl was a boy she knew all to well. He was one of the sons of the Uchiha head family, and in the Academy with them. So was the girl, come to think about it. She couldn't remember the girls name, but the boy she knew was Sasuke. _

_Ino gaped at where she pointed and than shook her head. _

"_That's just Naruto..." _

"_Naru-to?" Sakura interrupted hesitantly, surprised by a girl having such a masculine sounding name. _

_Or at least it seemed more masculine than female, but she knew some names could be used either way. There was a girl named Hinata in their class as well, and her name could be used for a boy or a girl – in her case it was the feminine use. _

_Ino nodded, chuckling a little under her breath as the marry-go-round spun while she and Sakura sat on it. _

"_Yeah, strange name for a girl but she's nice. I can't believe you hadn't notice her, she's been trying to be friendly with you for some time now. I mean, she sits behind you in class sometimes." _

_Sakura blinked, looking back at the blonde girl on the swing being pushed by Sasuke, higher and higher. She did look familiar, and for a moment she felt guilty for not remembering or being nice in return to her. _

"_I...I don't remember," Sakura admitted. "I..hope I didn't hurt her feelings." _

_Ino sighed. _

"_Naruto doesn't have many friends. I've seen her talk to Shikamaru, that lazy Nara, and Chōji and sometimes Kiba. Mostly I've seen her around Sasuke, I think they're close friends. No one really knows the story of how that happened – no one else really likes her. I've heard some adults talking quietly together about her, mean things, and they don't seem to like her very much." _

_Sakura was shocked. _

"_But why?" _

"_No idea," Ino replied. "I asked my dad, he just smiled and said sometimes people fear what they don't understand and told me not to worry about it." _

_Sakura frowned as she looked over at where Sasuke and Naruto where, Naruto now standing on the ground in front of the swing, talking to Sasuke it looked like. Sakura nodded to herself, shocking Ino when she jumped off the merry-go-round. _

"_What are you doing?" Ino asked. _

"_Let's go talk to her, maybe we can be her friend..." _

_'I never did become her friend, back then at least,' _Sakura thought as she opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling above her bed.

It was true, she'd talked to them that day, but things just never really moved forward. Being seven then she was even more shallow and selfish.

Upon seeing what being around Naruto did to her social life at school she'd pushed the girl away. Shattering any trace of a blossoming friendship between them. The only girl that had really talked to Naruto at all during their Academy years had been Hinata.

Not long after, about two years, give or take, the massacre happened and her crush on Sasuke Uchiha had reached new heights. Many girls had seen Naruto as a threat to getting Sasuke, even if they seemed to be very distant after the massacre.

Eventually, it seemed more like the two hated each other and girls just started ignoring Naruto again, figuring she was no longer a threat to gaining Sasuke's affections. Looking back she realized Naruto had still been friendly to her, and tried to be her friend, but she'd pushed her away, violently at times.

Sakura winced at those memories, it wasn't until they were genin that she started to grow up and realize that she could openly be friends with Naruto and not care what anyone else thought. It had just been Team Seven for a long time, and she could remember when she'd begun to see her cell group as a family. It was during the wave mission.

Sakura snorted, sitting up in her bed as she realized, she should have seen it coming. She should have seen that Sasuke only had eyes for one girl, even if he didn't seem to realize it himself back then. That girl had always and would always be Naruto.

She'd seen it when he'd woken up from Haku's attack, when Naruto had hugged the boy and he hadn't pushed her away. He'd seemed to enjoy it even, but her brain had found any and every way to rationalize it.

Then when they'd been in the chūnin exams. He just knew the ninja pretending to be Naruto wasn't Naruto just by the way she answered and the fact the ninja had placed the holster on the wrong leg.

He'd not listened to her when she'd begged him to stop when he'd first accessed the cursed mark, but when Naruto had done what she'd done, hugging him, he'd backed down.

Then many weeks later after the invasion when he'd heard his brother was after Naruto he'd run off without permission to reach Naruto first. Sakura was sure she could find many instances.

She'd deluded herself though, and was she really that upset? Sure, she felt sad that now any chance she might have with Sasuke was gone. He had chosen who he wanted to be with, chosen long before anyone else had known, and even had children and married.

Married, It was unbelievable that Naruto would leave and come back with three children, basically royalty and married to someone considered a traitor, at least before now.

Sasuke would probably get off with probation, not that he probably wouldn't have without the backing of the Hokage – grudgingly as it might be – and Naruto, who was now the Daimyo of Whirlpool.

Naruto being the daimyo of anything was surprising, but even after seeing her for a few minutes, Sakura could tell she'd grown up. No, she wasn't grievously upset, she didn't think she had those sort of feelings for Sasuke anymore anyways.

Maybe his leaving the village and the aftermath of the retrieval mission had woken her up from her rose-tented glasses in concern to the raven haired boy? True, she'd always care for him, as her teammate and as her friend, but over the years any romantic feelings seemed to take a back seat.

Other than the shock of him being completely out of her reach now, and the residual feelings she had, she just didn't see Sasuke in a romantic light any longer.

She was sad that she was the last to know. Kakashi had known, Jiraiya... she wondered who else had known before her. She understood why Naruto had kept it quiet, but she was their teammate, their friend, shouldn't she have been an exception?

Sighing, Sakura stood up and headed downstairs. If nothing else to check on her mother's cake.

As she did this she realized she couldn't even be properly angry at Sasuke and Naruto. In a way they were perfect for each other. Naruto at least knew how to handle the emotionally guarded Uchiha, and they did make adorable babies. Sakura couldn't help but laugh at that stray thought.

It was the truth though. The twins, Kiyoshi and Nariko, were adorable children. Kiyoshi looking so much like his father, and Nariko looking like both her parents. Not to say she couldn't see Naruto in Kiyoshi. His personality reminded her some of Naruto, quite a bit in fact, though at the same time she saw Sasuke.

Nariko seemed to be the quieter twin, but that might have been the fact she was around strangers. With a name meaning Thunder, Sakura couldn't see Nariko being anything other than rambunctious.

Though, Kiyoshi was nearly as quiet, he'd only spoken a few words, mostly they'd been curious about everything around them, and herself, probably because they'd never seen someone with pink hair before. Pink hair wasn't the most common of hair colors in the nations.

The baby, apparently the newest addition to their small, yet growing (Sakura couldn't withhold a smirk at that thought. Sasuke did say one of his goals was to restart his clan, and _usually_ a clan was classified as more than five members. Not to mention she'd always seen Naruto having a large family, maybe because she put so much feeling and stock in family and hadn't had one growing up), family.

Menma, Sakura recalled his name being, was undoubtedly his mother's son, but with striking Uchiha features. The beginning of black hairs on his head, the shape of his nose seemed to be that of Sasuke's.

Menma seemed to take a little more after Naruto though, a rounder face, the eyes shape and color, the slightly tanner skin than a normal Uchiha had. Like a male version of Naruto, but with some Uchiha features.

As Sakura picked up the icing her mother had ready for the cake, she couldn't help but hope she could be the dotting aunt to Naruto-chan and Sasuke-kun's children.

Aunt Sakura had a nice sound to it.

"I need to go see her," Sakura muttered. "Make sure she knows I'm not upset."

They hadn't seen each other in over three years, and Sakura had this gut feeling one of the reasons Naruto hadn't told her was fear of how she'd react. Back then, Sakura was sure she'd have reacted rather badly.

Despite being a bit disillusioned with Sasuke after he'd left, she still hadn't completely gotten over him back then.

Covering the now iced cake – which her mother would probably go about decorating later – she placed it safely away and moved quickly to the front door, slipped on her shoes and darted out the front door.

Five seconds later Sakura came back inside, grabbed a pen and paper from the table close by and wrote a quick note to her parents in case she wasn't back before them, and ran back out the door.

* * *

It took her a while to realize she had no idea where the Namikaze Compound was. Actually, Sakura had never even heard of a clan by the name of Namikaze.

Though the surname itself did sound familiar. She'd assumed she was looking for the Uzumaki Compound, and she remembered hearing Naruto say Jiraiya was going with her to unseal her father's home, so she obviously wasn't at the Uchiha District.

Apparently Uzumaki wasn't her father surname. She wondered if she was the only one on Team Seven to lack any real knowledge on Naruto's origins?

_Probably, _she thought with a slightly frustrated huff.

"Yo, Sakura," a familiar, calm voice said from beside her.

Looking over she gave a sigh of relief at seeing Kakashi. Maybe he knew where she could find Naruto.

"Sensei, I'm glad to see you," she began.

Kakashi nodded.

"How are you handling it, about Naruto and Sasuke?" he asked, getting right to the point.

Sakura snorted lightly and smiled.

"I won't lie, I was a bit down at first," she replied. "But I've grown over the years, Kakashi-sensei. I'm not the fourteen year old who believed the world revolved around Sasuke. To be honest I don't think anyone but Naru could handle Sasuke."

Kakashi laughed, nodding.

"Sensei, do you know where the Namikaze compound is? No one seems to know or want to answer me when I asked around..."

Kakashi had stiffened at the name before he sighed and nodded.

"There is a reason for that, but I think it's better if Naru told you that herself," he said. "Yes, I do happen to know where it is. I'll show you the way."

Sakura smiled happily and followed Kakashi towards the Uchiha District. Half-way there they took a turn to the right, away from the lake (or pond that was so associated as being a piece of the Uchiha property, despite not being inside the compound).

Soon enough they came upon some wall, which weren't as high or grand as, say, the Hyūga's or even Uchiha's. They were moderately high, maybe a bit over six feet and made of iron – looking more like a high fence than a wall.

Inside was a compound maybe half a large as the Uchiha District, with about a dozen or so homes, the largest being almost centered in the compound. It almost seemed like a peaceful vacation spot, but lonely.

It was also rather dusty, Sakura was sure, it seemed as if none had been there in years. The gate, which had a sun-like symbol where the gate met to latch shut, was wide open.

Looking around her Sakura could see the Uchiha walls from where she stood, so while it was rather hiden from the village there was actually a rather good view of it, and it was surprisingly close to the Uchiha Compound.

Kakashi looked around in remembrance, and some remorse. He'd not been here for what he thought was close to twenty years. The place was big and Minato hadn't liked living here alone, his parents having passed when he was young.

Most the Namikaze clan which had found there way to Konoha had met their end in battle or during the Third Shinobi War. Minato had been the last.

He'd lived there with Kushina for quite some time, using their old apartment in the village, closer to the Hokage office, as a safe house. When Kushina had been pregnant with Naruto it was where she preferred to stay with Minato, being closer to friends and it was smaller, not quite as isolated.

That was something Kushina had never liked about the Namikaze compound, it was too isolated for her liking. It was one of the smaller clan compounds in Konoha, but it was so quiet and Kushina had been a social woman.

Kakashi supposed the isolation, and peaceful atmosphere was what Naruto needed right now. It wasn't as if it was that different from when she'd lived in her apartment building.

"It's beautiful," Sakura said as they headed towards the main family house.

It was in the best shape, though not by much. It was rather large, but also moderate in size compared to some main family homes from other clans. The Namikaze compound was not flashy, Sakura realized.

"Hmm, it hasn't changed much," Kakashi said, and he smiled slightly upon seeing two small toddlers playing in the front yard area, to the side of the main house, where there was a fountain which once upon a time had Koi fish inside.

Kakashi was pretty sure there were no longer any fish there but the two children seemed to be amusing themselves with the still working fountain-pond combo and water that flowed into it.

Sakura looked over to what she noticed her sensei staring at and gaped for a moment, but then she composed herself. It wasn't that shocking, seeing two children playing outside their home. True they had just moved in that day, but she didn't expect anything less from the children of her two teammates.

She chuckled under her breath, didn't that sound weird? Her teammates had children together, she'd never seen it coming, but she probably should have. Maybe she did, she just hadn't wanted to believe it, or maybe she was thinking too hard on this?

"Yoshi, don't splash me!"

"Don't call me Yoshi, Riko!"

The little dark haired girl puffed out her cheeks in such a way that was identical to Naruto that Sakura couldn't help but smile.

"MY NAMES NOT RIKO!"

"MINES NOT YOSHI!"

"Both of you better learn your names, or there will be no dessert for either of you," Naruto's voice suddenly said, coming out onto the long, though not exactly wide, porch.

It was a funny image. Not because she couldn't see Naru being motherly, no, Sakura always had a feeling Naruto would make a wonderful mother, but because of the stern look on her face, added to the long navy blue dress she wore over a long sleeved white shirt with high collar, and pink apron.

Her hair was up in two buns on the side of her head (probably to keep the extremely long locks out of her way), and she seemed to be drying her hands on a kitchen cloth.

She looked like the image of a housewife in that moment, and it was just so different. Without even meaning to though, Sakura could just picture Sasuke coming up behind Naruto, wrapping an arm around her and giving the children a stern, yet barely amused, look for fighting.

_The perfect family, _she thought with tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

She didn't know why, maybe because she feared there wasn't a place for her? She hadn't seen or talked to Naruto or Sasuke in years after all (though not really by any fault of her own) and would they even want her around? Maybe because the picture perfect family she could see them being made her envious, or just plain emotional.

"Sorry, Mama," the two twins said in unison, heads bowed slightly, and the corner of Naruto's mouth lifted upwards.

Sakura took a deep breath, and came to a stop a few feet away from the house, and where Naruto and her children stood. They still hadn't noticed her or Kakashi, but from the slight twitch of Naruto's body language she had a hunch it was more like, Naruto letting her make the first move.

It hadn't occurred to Sakura Naruto could truly be that concerned about her reaction to all of this.

"Naruto?" she began, sounding more like she was asking a question.

Naruto turned her full attention to her, as did Kiyoshi and Nariko, and she smiled. It had a hopeful, and almost sad or weary quality to it. Like she was expecting the worse.

"Hey, you're that pink lady from before," Nariko pointed out, and then looked down a bit shyly when the attention was directed at her.

"Nari-chan," Naruto muttered, barely loud enough for Sakura or Kakashi to hear.

"Yes, I am," Sakura said as she crossed the distance between them and crouched in front of the little girl with features so familiar, and eyes nearly the same shade as Naruto (she realized they were lighter and more of a violet-blue). "My name is Haruno Sakura, I'm a good friend of your Okaasan and Otousan."

"Oh, you're Sakura-obachan," Kiyoshi said, eyes wide. "Mama told us about you."

Sakura's eyes widened at this and she stood back up, looking at Naruto in slight surprise. She hadn't expected that, she thought... well she wasn't too sure what she'd thought.

"Kiyo-chan, Nari-chan, why don't you two go annoy Ero-sennin," Naruto suggested, and the twins grinned, nodded and took off into the house.

Sakura could hear the cries of _'Sofu'_ from them as they went. She smiled, they really did see Jiraiya-sama as their grandfather, she realized.

"We should talk," Naruto began, and motioned for them to follow her inside.

* * *

The silence at first was nerve-wreaking.

What could she honestly say? There was just so much to talk about, it had been so many years since they'd last seen one another and Sakura had never expected her to come back with such a bombshell.

Looking at the blonde girl beside her, Sakura noticed the chain necklace around her neck, tucked into her clothes, which she knew held two beautiful, yet simple, rings. She felt a bit envious, not really because Naruto had gotten Sasuke in the end, but because it seemed like she now had everything.

Nobility, a beautiful home, and most of all a family. Sakura had only ever had feelings for one boy, and that was Sasuke. No matter how misguided those feelings may have been, and how fan-girlish they'd made her back then, Sasuke had been the only one she'd ever had a crush on.

Even after she'd pretty much left any romantic feelings for Sasuke in the past she just never found anyone that she liked. She was eighteen years old and never had a boyfriend, never been on a date, or kissed. As she thought about this more she wondered if something was wrong with her?

She wasn't as beautiful as Naruto, who had long silky blonde hair like the sunset, and tanned skin, curves and exotic marks on her cheeks. Though knowing Naruto she didn't see her own beauty, she wasn't shallow or vain by any means – Sakura snorted, once upon a time that described herself perfectly. Shallow and vain. She'd spent more of her time on her looks than her training.

It wasn't that she didn't know she was rather pretty, despite a too large forehead, and body which wasn't quite as curvy as many kunoichi in the village. Hell, compared to Ino, Hinata, Tenten, and now Naruto she almost looked like a boy with her moderate B-cup bust and slender build with subtle curves.

_'Maybe I haven't changed as much as I thought,'_ Sakura thought to herself with a sigh as she realized how chaotic and self centered her thoughts had gotten.

She'd forgotten to take into consideration that no matter how perfect Naruto's life may look on the outside, underneath things were not so grand. Naruto had to work for where she was now, and she'd had to fight for Sasuke who seemed bound and determined to leave everything to avenge his clan.

She wasn't sure exactly how it had happened, how Sasuke and Naruto's relationship started but it couldn't have been easy.

Sakura had to accept that she had nothing to be jealous about, her life wasn't hard by many means and maybe her not finding interest in any of the boys in the village had nothing to do with her and everything to do with her not wanting to let go and move on completely.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."

Sakura looked at Naruto startled, and asked, "For what?"

"I knew how you felt about Sasuke..."

Sakura held up a hand, shaking her head.

"Stop, I know where you going with this and it's unnecessary." Sakura smiled at Naruto. "You're my best friend, Naru-chan, and I'm happy for you and Sasuke. It wasn't that I was really upset...I was just shocked."

"You're really not upset?" Naruto asked, blinking away her surprise.

"Not anymore at least," answered Sakura. "A few years ago I would have been upset, but it's been nearly four years...I've let go of my crush on Sasuke. I love him, but just as a good friend or brother, just as I love you like a sister."

Naruto grinned her fox-like grin and threw her arms around Sakura, and the pink hair Kunoichi laughed as the sudden hug.

"Thanks Sakura-chan," Naruto said, pulling away from the hug. "Sensei, you've been quiet."

Kakashi leaned against the wall of the study Naruto had shown them too and Sakura could tell, and she was pretty sure Naruto could as well, that the man had been here before.

"Sorry about that, just this place holds some memories," he said.

Naruto nodded.

"I figured, Jiraiya said it was my father's study," Naruto began.

Looking around Sakura would admit, besides from some dust the place was well organized. Bookshelves, a large desk, and decorated in warm colors. It was almost like an everyday study.

There were also some pictures, probably of family as most had shades of blonde or lilac hair (and she had thought her pink hair was unique). There was one that caught her attention, on the desk which was the most cluttered area in the entire room.

The picture showed a couple, both wearing the jōnin standard uniform and hitai-ate. One had blonde hair the same shade of Naruto – sans the red highlights which were more noticeable in direct light – and was spiky in a way that reminded her of little Kiyoshi and Menma (though the baby didn't have quite a full head of hair yet, but it was pretty thick for a baby barely a few months old).

It was probably where they got it from. The mans eyes were some of the brightest azure blue she'd ever seen, at least on anyone other than Naruto.

The woman beside him could have been Naruto fraternal – if not identical sans the eyes, hair and skin tone – twin they looked so much alike.

If Naruto dyed her hair red, had ivory skin, and deep violet eyes she'd be the woman in the picture. It even looked as if Naruto was around the same age as the redhead when this picture was taken.

For some reason the man seemed familiar, and not in the he looked quite a bit like Naruto way like the woman did.

"Naruto...I hope you don't think I'm prying but... just who were your parents?" Sakura asked. "From what I've gathered your mother was an Uzumaki, and your father was a Namikaze."

"Sakura, you don't recognize the name do you?" Kakashi asked, seeming somewhat amused.

Sakura blinked. Should she? Sure, it sounded familiar, but...looking around at the pictures she noticed another where the blonde man wearing a long white haori-cloak. Her eyes widened, and Naruto smiled.

"My father was Namikaze Minato, and my mother was Uzumaki Kushina," Naruto said. "My father was also the Yondaime Hokage."

After that the silence was thick. What could she say to that? She'd thought the most shocking revelation Naruto had for her was her recent marriage and children... and while this didn't necessarily top that it did throw Sakura for a loop.

Looking back at the pictures and then back to Naruto she snorted. How had she not seen it before? How had no one seen it before, Naruto was like a female version of her father when it came to her bright hair, tanned skin, and sharp azure eyes.

Chuckling, Sakura finally spoke.

"You certainly are Konoha's number one most unpredictable ninja, Naru-chan."


End file.
